Mategriffon

History

Matagrifone was initially constructed as a wooden fortress in 1061 by the Norman adventurer Robert Guiscard, Lord of Sicily. It was upgraded in 1190 by Richard I, king of England during his sojourn in Messina as part of his journey to the Holy Land in the Third Crusade. He ordered its partial demolition before he departed in 1191 for the conquest of Cyprus.

In 1240 King Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor ordered the rebuilding of the castle in limestone. Documents of the period refer to a Castrum novum. It later passed to the Angevin dynasty.

In the aftermath of the Sicilian Vespers, the royal vicar Herbert of Orleans together with his family and the supporters of King Charles I of Naples took refuge in the castle which was besieged and damaged by the angry Messinese mob led by Alaimo da Lentini. However they were given safe conduct to leave the castle which was subsequently repaired. After the Angevins were driven out of Sicily, Matagrifone came under control of the new ruling dynasty, the House of Aragon. It became the residence of Queen Constance, consort of Peter III at the end of the 13th century.

In February 1285, Baroness Macalda di Scaletta, wife of Alaimo da Lentini, and her children were imprisoned in Matagrifone Castle by the orders of King Peter. It was there she became acquainted with another prisoner, the Tunisian emir Margam Ibn Sebir of Djerba, with whom she passed the time playing chess. According to historian Santi Correnti she was the first Sicilian woman to play the game.

In the late 15th century the castle was enlarged by King Ferdinand II of Aragon whose inscription was written in Latin in 1496 on the eastern side of the extant tower.

The 16th century saw extensive fortifications added to the castle.

In October 1535 following his conquest of Tunisia, Emperor Charles V made a triumphal visit to Messina where he stopped at Matagrifone Castle as part of his inspection of the city's fortresses.

Over the following centuries it was a focal point of a number of rebellions against the ruling Spanish by the populace of Messina. …