- UNESCO
Photo: Civa61, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Castle
- Period
- Middle Ages, 1186
- Protection
- Italian national heritage
- Coordinates
- 38°01′09″ N, 12°30′52″ E
- Address
- Lungomare Dante Alighieri
History and description
Castello di Terra (English: Land Castle) is a former medieval coastal fortress in the historic centre of Trapani, Sicily. In the sixteenth century it formed part of the city’s bastionised defensive system, serving as the principal landward stronghold protecting the harbour and urban core. Today, only sections of the seaward defensive walls survive, while the former landward area of the castle site is occupied by modern administrative buildings, including the Questura of Trapani, which houses the provincial headquarters of the State Police.
History
The Castello di Terra was built in around 1186, and was expanded in the second half of the 14th century and modified again in the 16th and 17th centuries. The castle was originally located at the mouth of the channel linking the Tyrrhenian Sea to the port.
Parts of the castle were converted into barracks in the 19th century. The barracks were demolished in the 1970s and their site is now occupied by a police station.
Archaeological excavations and a partial restoration were carried out at the castle in 1992 and 1994.
Layout
The castle originally had a quadrilateral shape, with semi-circular towers along its curtain walls and rectangular towers at the corners. Today, only the northwestern face of the castle is still intact.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Castello di Terra».
Timeline
- 1186Built
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Getting there
TrapaniTrain, nearest
500 m as the crow flies
Castello di TerraLungomare Dante Alighieri
Terminal traghetti Trapani700 m
Aeroporto di Trapani-Birgi12.1 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore castles in Sicily
Frequently asked questions
Where is Castello di Terra?
Castello di Terra is in Trapani, in the province of Trapani (Sicily), Italy. Address: Lungomare Dante Alighieri. GPS coordinates: 38.01926, 12.51441.
How old is Castello di Terra?
Wikidata dates it to 1186.
What else is there to see near Castello di Terra?
Nearby you’ll find: Palazzo D'Alì (100 m away), Palazzo della Giudecca (400 m away), Drepana (500 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 1 photos
- Castello di terra — Civa61, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences