Chiaramonte Castle

Among the various beautiful Chiaramonte castles in Sicily, that of Palma di Montechiaro is the only one built on a rocky ridge overlooking the sea.

Built in 1353 it was, due to its strategic position, of great importance in the history of the fight against pirates.

After the death of Andrea Chiaramonte and the confiscation of all his assets, the castle passed to the Moncada family who changed its name to Montechiaro with the clear intention of erasing the memory of the previous lords.

After various passages, the castle came in the seventeenth century, through the female line, to the Tomasi family, a member of which, Carlo Tomasi Caro, received the title of Duke of Palma from King Philip IV.

The latter, having embraced the monastic life, ceded all his possessions to his brother Giulio who was Duke of Palma and prince of Lampedusa.

Abandoned to decay for a long time, it has only recently undergone restoration work.

It should be remembered that inside the chapel there is a statue of the Madonna which Caputo attributes to Antonello Gagini.

Very interesting is the legend in which it is said that the statue, stolen by the nearby inhabitants of Agrigento, was brought back by the Palmese to the castle after a long and furious struggle.

This fact is corroborated by the name given to a stream which has since been referred to as the "Battle Walloon".