Castle in Forza d'Agrò, Medieval castle in Forza d'Agrò, Italy

The castle of Forza d'Agrò stands at 420 metres above sea level and is reached by a long, steep stone staircase. Inside the walls, visitors can still see the remains of the church of the Santissimo Crocifisso, the grain stores and the soldiers' quarters.

The castle was built in the 11th century, possibly over the ruins of an earlier structure. In 1595 it was restored by the town's jurors and deputies. In 1676, during the anti-Spanish revolt of Messina, it stayed loyal to the Spanish Crown and was besieged and taken by the French, who placed it under the military jurisdiction of Savoca.

From 1876 the castle walls enclosed the town cemetery for about a century; today most tombs stand unmaintained, many have sunk and lie open. The burial ground occupied the same enclosure that once held the church of the S.S. Crocifisso, the grain stores and the soldiers' quarters.

The castle stands at 420 m above sea level and is reached by a long, steep stone staircase. Visits are possible, but the site has no safety devices and is potentially very dangerous, so watch your footing among the collapsed, open tombs of the former cemetery.

Inside the walls, the remains of the church of the Santissimo Crocifisso, grain stores and soldiers' quarters are still visible. The castle was restored in 1595 by the town's jurors and deputies, and British troops made architectural changes in the early 19th century.