Poira Castle, Medieval castle ruins in Paternò, Italy

Poira Castle, also called the Castle of the Baroness of Poira, stands in ruins in the Poira district on the hills known as the Calanchi, along the road from Paternò to Centuripe. Its four large connected buildings served as dwellings, warehouses, animal shelters and a chapel. Traces remain of the double curtain wall, arrow slits, splayed windows, a huge cistern, the chapel and a room with fireplaces.

Probably built in the medieval period over the remains of a Siculi settlement, the castle became the residence of the Spitaleri barons of Adernò, lords of the Poira fief. At the end of the 19th century the Maurina Band stormed it in the "Spitaleri seizure", demanding and obtaining 50,000 lire for the baron's safety, then looting the building before fleeing. It served as a masseria until the end of the 20th century.

The castle is also called the Baroness of Poira Castle, and the surrounding district still bears the name Poira. Until the end of the 20th century the complex served as a masseria, a working farm whose four wings housed people, stores, animals and a chapel. The Spitaleri seizure by the Maurina Band at the end of the 19th century remains the best-known episode linked to the site.

The site is best explored with local guidance or structured tours since the pathways through the countryside between Paternò and Centuripe are not always clearly marked. It is wise to wear suitable footwear and allow time to walk the historical trails and visit the surrounding archaeological areas at your own pace.

Excavations in 1995 revealed an ancient Greek necropolis with tombs from the 6th and 5th centuries BC filled with ceramic objects. Nearby, the Grotta degli Schiavi functioned as a Roman labor prison where workers were confined and chained if they resisted their conditions.