The castle of Calatafimi Segesta and its prison cells

Castello Eufemio is a medieval castle located on a hill west of the town of Calatafimi Segesta, in the province of Trapani, Sicily. It was initially one of the fortified sites placed to defend and control access to Segesta. Documented written references to Castello Eufemio begin in the mid-12th century, when the traveler and geographer Idrisi described it as an 'ancient castle' with a 'populated town'.

In the 13th century, it was one of the imperial castles used by the troops of Federico in the struggle against rebels. During this period, the castle was probably restored and later served as the domain of the feudal lords of Calatafimi and the governors who administered it on behalf of the crown. In 1282, its feudal lord Guglielmo Porcelet likely lived there - he was loved by his subjects and was spared and sent safely to Provence with his family. The castle then served as a military post and prison until 1868, the year it was abandoned and began its slow decay.

Visitors can still see the graffiti of the detainees on the walls of some cells in Castello Eufemio. These narrow doors to the cells are located on the left side of the vestibule and the courtyard. On the same side as the cells, another floor rose, which was likely the actual noble residence. Along the west side, large cisterns for rainwater are still aligned.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons