- UNESCO
Castle, Agrigento (AG)
37°18′50″ N, 13°34′43″ E
No photo on Wikimedia Commons yet
At a glance
- Type
- Castle
- Period
- Middle Ages, 1087
- Commissioned by
- County of Sicily
- Protection
- Italian national heritage
- Coordinates
- 37°18′50″ N, 13°34′43″ E
- Address
- Via Carcere vecchio
History and description
The Castello di Agrigento, also known as the Castrum Agrigenti, is a ruined castle in Agrigento, Sicily. In the Middle Ages, it was one of the most important buildings in the city. It was mostly destroyed in 1909, and today only a few remains of the castle survive.
History
The castle began to be built in 1087, when Count Roger ordered the construction of a fort (castellum firmissimum) in Agrigento, which had just been captured from the Arabs. The castle was constructed on top of a hill which had probably been the city's acropolis in antiquity.
In 1150, the Arab historian Muhammad al-Idrisi described the castle as "one of the main strongholds for the attitude of defence" in one of his writings. It was mentioned in a list of state-owned castles in 1273.
The castle was almost completely destroyed to make way for a municipal reservoir in 1909. Very little remains have survived, and the original layout is not discernible. It is located on public property and is in a state of abandonment.
Layout
The exact layout of the castle is not known. Medieval sources suggest that its walls were protected by fortified towers. A drawing in the Atlante di città e fortezze del Regno di Sicilia - 1640 by Francesco Negro and Carlo Maria Ventimiglia shows that the castle was triangular in shape, and had an inner courtyard.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Castello di Agrigento».
Timeline
- 1087Built
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Getting there
Agrigento CentraleTrain, nearest
700 m as the crow flies
Castello di AgrigentoVia Carcere vecchio
Porto Empedocle5.2 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
Loading map…
Nearby
See on the mapDo you know this place?
We are missing the opening hours and photos. The data comes from open projects: if you add it there, it appears here at the next update.
More castles in Sicily
Frequently asked questions
Where is Castello di Agrigento?
Castello di Agrigento is in Agrigento, in the province of Agrigento (Sicily), Italy. Address: Via Carcere vecchio. GPS coordinates: 37.31396, 13.57861.
How old is Castello di Agrigento?
Wikidata dates it to 1087.
What else is there to see near Castello di Agrigento?
Nearby you’ll find: Santa Maria dei Greci (100 m away), Temple of Athena (100 m away), Diocesan Museum of Agrigento (300 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences