The Castello Normanno was built by Ruggero the Norman around 1077 on top of pre-existing Greco-Roman fortifications. The site was already noted by the geographer El Edrisi in the 12th century. In the 13th century, the castle was modified by Federico II di Svevia. The castellania of Salemi later belonged to the Bruno family, though historians debate whether they were originally from Catalonia.
In the 1300s, the castellania of Salemi was again confirmed to the Bruno family by Federico III of Sicily. In 1441, a confederation was formed in the castle involving Salemi, Trapani, Mazara, Monte San Giuliano, Castelvetrano, and Partanna. In 1789, the building was converted into a prison. This ended in 1860 when Garibaldi hoisted the tricolor flag from the round tower, proclaiming Salemi a capital and establishing a Garibaldian dictatorship.
In 1934, the castle became a municipal library. It was damaged by the Belice earthquake in 1968 and remained closed for 35 years for restoration and consolidation works by the Sicilian Region. The building reopened in 2002, with works being definitively completed in 2010. Today, it serves as a museum venue hosting concerts and conferences.
Architecturally, the castle features a unified layout with a slight rotation toward the northeast and southwest. It possesses three corner towers - one cylindrical and two square - while a fourth tower in the north corner likely collapsed in the 17th century. The cylindrical tower remains the highest point in the city today.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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