Cefalà Castle

Cefalà Castle, locally known as Castello di Cefalà, lies above the small town of Cefalà Diana, in the Palermo province on the island of Sicily in Italy.

Cefalà Castle was built in the mid-14th century. Situated at the top of a 657 meters high cliff it dominated the upper valley of the Milicia River and controlled an old route to Palermo.

After a siege took place in 1349 by troops of Palermo, Cefalà Castle was granted in 1357 by Frederick III the Simple, King of Sicily, to a Matthew Perollo, a captain from Ciminna.

During the 15th century Cefalà Castle went to the Abatellis family, who obtained a 'license to populate' but did not do so. Between 1507 and 1520, Frederick Abatellis I carried out restoration works at the castle.

In 1525 the barony of Cefalà was bought by a Francesco Bologna, who again obtained a 'licentia populandi', but this also remained without success.

In 1684, Cefalà Castle was owned by a Nicolo Diana, Duke of Cefalà. After he also obtained a license, he finally founded the town of Cefalà Diana, southwest of the cliff where the ground was less steep. Probably during that time the castle was rebuilt.

Already in 1730, however, Cefalà Castle was in ruins, inhabited by a few families of farmers, and a few years later, in 1748, the village of Cefalà Diana had fewer than a hundred souls.

From 1995 on the ruin of Cefalà Castle was restored and consolidated.

At present the ruin of Cefalà Castle is freely accessible. Inside the keep is probably a small museum, but everything was closed when I visited. A very nice castle ruin.

Gallery