Castroreale

King Frederick III of Aragon rebuilt the castle here in 1324 and made it a favourite residence, so the town became 'royal'. Its steep medieval lanes, paved with local stone called jacatu, open onto belvedere squares on Colle Torace in the Peloritani mountains. Over 80 churches crowd the small town, and in Holy Week a crucifix fixed to a 13-metre pole is carried through the streets.

Highlights

• The Duomo, with Renaissance marble statues and a camera-obscura meridian line
• Antonello Gagini's signed marble Annunciation (1519) in Sant'Agata
• Processione del Cristo Lungo, the tall crucifix carried through the lanes in Holy Week
• The castle tower, last remnant of Frederick's fortress, now part of a hostel
• A Moorish arch, all that remains of the 15th-century synagogue

Summary based on Wikipedia and Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), written with AI assistance.