Castello Normanno

Ionian Coast


Built in the 13th century, this dark, brooding Norman castle sits over an earlier Arab fortification. It's in surprisingly good shape considering its age, and hosts a small museum with a collection of geological rock samples and bizarre prehistoric skulls. The castle appears to be grafted atop the Rocca di Acicastello, a vast, black volcanic rock. The rock is considered a vulcanological rarity, having emerged from an underwater fissure.