Maniace Castle

A castle dating back to the 11th century at the very tip of Ortigia in Siracusa (Syracuse), Sicily

The Grand Hall of the Castello Mainace. Begun by the Byzantine commander Giorgio Mainace (whose name in Grrek was George Maniakes) in 1038, this fortress anchoring the southernmost tip of Ortigia islands was expanded many times, most notably in the middle of the 13th century under Holy Roman emperor Frederick II.

It housed many members of the Aragonese royal family from the 13th to 15th centuries.

It was a prison for much of the 15th century, then took on more and more of a military role starting in the 16th century, becoming the anchor point of the city walls.

So why does it look to be in such great shape? On Nov 5, 1704, the powder room exploded spectacularly, taking a large part of the castle with it. Some of the limstone blocks landed several kilometers away.

The Castello Mainace was rebuilt even stronger than before (though part of the ruined portion was left as-is) and continued to serve various military roles. The castle bristled with cannon during the Napoleonic era, and the Bourbons reinforced it with casemates (fortified gun emplacements) in the early 19th century.

The castle only opened to the public in the 2000s. There's not much to it, though the ranks of miliarily precise empty halls make for some interesting photography (especially where they come together at odd angles), as do the vaulted chambers of a recently rediscovered grand hall.

In a few places, you can get high enough to peek over the walls and enjoy sea views back up the flanks of Ortigia.

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