Castellaccio of Monreale

You can feel the power in this viking castle, this is where my ancestors called this land “a new home” The castle was built around the twelfth century under William II together with the more famous Cathedral and Monastery of Monreale. It is an example of Norman architecture in Sicily. It was an integral part of a vast defense-control system of the territory following the conquest of the island from 1061 to 1072, Vikings started to come here as mercenaries around, In 860, according to an account by the Norman monk Dudo of Saint-Quentin, a Viking fleet, probably under Björn Ironside and Hastein, landed in Sicily, conquering it.