Nelson's Castle thru Sharp's Words & Eyes

"...The great Sicilian estates of the Duchy of Bronte, which came to Lord Nelson along with the title of Duke just a hundred and four years ago, have a capital. This capital is not the mountain-town which gives the title, but the ancient castle of Maniace, standing in the hollow of a vast mountain-surrounded plateau, covered with the immemorial lavas of Etna." - Sharp



My dad really wanted to go to Nelson's castle because his friend John Caldwell, former CO of Sigonella, had fond memories of the place...as John and his family stayed there as guests during their last nite in Sicily.

Their host Rowland Artur Herbert Nelson Hood, the 4th duke of Bronte died in July 1969 just a few years after their visit. The duke and his dog Hugo are buried at the nearby cemetery, which still belongs to the Nelson family.




I can see why it may have been hard to get the Nelson family to take a concerted interest in the castle. It was primarily the ruins of an abbey and monastery -- largely destroyed in 1693's earthquake. It was a long ways away from friends and family in England. There was malaria, poverty, a tremendous lack of culture and education in the Bronte countryside, and the ever-present threat of peasant uprising.

...As a foreigner castle owner...That might be enough to keep me in my corset in frigid England.



Even ancient abbeys need defense. This area was once the site of a gruesome battle between Muslims and Christians. Note the slits in the fortress for weapons. Would that be for a bow and arrow? A crossbow? Definately not an M-16.