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Visit Caronia
Caronia is a hill town standing below a Norman castle near the coast of north-eastern Sicily, .
The structure of the medieval town is clearly visible even today in the Old Town of Caronia, which, in spite of the inevitable modernization suffered over the centuries, still retains the medieval structure in some small alleys and narrow winding streets.
The ramparts of the ancient fortifications enclosed the small village, which was entered through some gates, one of which is still visible in the so-called “Arco Saraceno”, south of the town. It was largely rebuilt and dates backto pre-Norman times.The heart of the medieval city was formed by the buildings that stood around the Main Church, presumably contemporary with the Norman castle, and dedicated to St. Nicholas of Bari (12th century). The church, with a single nave, stands out for a few paintings representing "San Francesco di Paola" and the "Sacred Family", dating from the 18th century.
Among the other churches in Caronia is the Church of St. Blaise, the patron saint of Caronia, in which stands a statue of St. Peter and a "Deposition" by Domenico Ferrandini (18th century). The oldest church of the town is the Church of Madonna Annunziata, built in the 12th century by Queen Constance of Hauteville (1154-1198), mother of Frederick II of Swabia (1194-1250), who lived through a shipwreck. The Church of St. Francis dates from the second half of the 16th century and it is characterized by a strict and simple style, in perfect agreement with its founders, the Capuchin friars of the “Confraternita dell’ Assunzione” [Confraternity of St. Mary of the Assumption].
Caronia Castle
The most important monument in Caronia is the Norman castle. This fortress is one of the most remarkable examples of Norman architecture in Sicily. The present castle was built in the years when Roger I (1031-1101) and Roger II (1095-1154) ruled*. The building, placed in the walls of the fortified complex, was probably used by the court as a summer residence, and equipped with all amenities.
*The oldest evidence of the castle in Caronia is by Al Idrisi, "the only writer who referred to Caronia” (See Wolfgang Krönig, “Il castello di Caronia in Sicilia. Un complesso normanno del XII secolo”, Edizioni dell'Elefante, p. 21), who quoted the fortress as a “new” construction, so it is certainly of the first half of 12th century.
On both sides of the walls is a square tower, while the eastern front has a large entry portal, it is "with double arched lintel, and it is not located in the center of the façade, but it is displaced to the north" ( Krönig, p. 43). The ground floor was meant for storage while the upper floor was the real home, characterized by a lounge with a strong Islamic inspiration. Upstairs, the main hall is covered by a trough vault; near there are two rooms, one of rectangular shape, covered by a trough vault and one located northward, with a groin vault.
North-east of the castle there is the chapel, dating from the twelfth century, divided into three naves with pointed arches. According to studies by Wolfgang Krönig, in the walls of the castle and in the stylistic technics of the passages, bricks of large size have been used, presumably from the Roman period. Under the floor, there is a rectangular room with barrel vault or a cistern where rain water flowed from the roof.
Caronia and surrounding region
Caronia is the most forested small town in the Nebrodes Natural Park, and besides the beaches the town offers the tourist who loves nature a habitat of great attraction, with a significant amount of plants. Nearby, toward the “Acqua dei Vitelli”, e “Contrada Moglia”, there is the wood of the “Tassita”, in which we found many species of fungus.
Among other things, just in the Nebrodes Natural Park and especially in autumn, there is a fair called "Porcelli e Porcini”," with meat dishes with mushrooms. In the restaurants in and near Caronia we can taste some typical dishes of outstanding quality, such as the homemade “tagliatelle” with chickpeas, “risotto” with mushrooms, fried dried salted cod, and the so-called “Sfinci”, sweets fried and served with sweet “ricotta.”
See also Caronia history and etymology. Note: photo of Caronia is copyright