Carafa Castle

The Carafa Castle in Roccella Ionica, on the Costa dei Gelsomini in the province of Reggio Calabria, is the architectural symbol of the ancient village and one of the best-preserved castles in Calabria. It stands on a rocky promontory overlooking the territory of Roccella Ionica and was founded in the Norman period by Gualtieri De Collepietro on the pre-existing ruins of a Byzantine castrum with a watchtower. The history of the Carafa Castle in Roccella Ionica is extremely fascinating: the building passed through various owners and family events, which modified and expanded its structure according to defensive and residential needs, from the Ruffo family to the Marquis Centelles, to the noble family of the Carafa della Spina princes, originally from Naples. It is they who have handed down the castle to us in its current structure (restored after a long period of neglect and ruin).

It is accessed through a granite portal surmounted by the coat of arms of the Carafa princes and a monumental balcony with carved corbels decorated with masks. Inside, a small paved courtyard with eight star-shaped channels leads to the upper floors, where the private apartments were located, and to the large rooms on the ground floor, which today host the main events and festivals of the village. Adjacent to the building is the Baroque-style Mother Church of St. Nicholas of Bari. Among the historical events that made the Carafa Castle in Roccella Ionica famous is the Ottoman siege led by the terrible pirate Dragut Pasha (1553), during which the fortress proved to be one of the few unconquered in the entire Mediterranean.