The Castle of Mazzarino: Territorial Connections, Historical Transformations, and Emerging Opportunities for Public Engagement

This study explores a medieval fortified structure—originally established in either the 12th or 14th century— highly stratified and little concerned by previous studies. The castle is located in the territory of Caltanissetta and served as a defensive outpost for the city of Mazzarino (CL). The building belonged to the Branciforti family between the 14th and 17th centuries, when it was ultimately abandoned following the noble family's relocation to a new urban residence. Historical sources combined with some physical evidence suggest the possibility that the site retains traces of an earlier 12th-century fortification, likely associated with Manfredi del Vasto, the feudal lord of the settlement during that period. In the absence of direct documentation, the building's historical transformations have been reconstructed through stratigraphic analysis of the elevations, allowing the identification of construction phases and significant chronological markers, such as the two elevations, presumably dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. A contemporary methodological approach has been adopted, interpreting castles not merely as isolated architectural artifacts, but as strategic nodes within a broader territorial defensive network, connected to road systems and surrounding settlements. The investigation has developed along multiple lines of inquiry: the study of historical routes and remnants through documents, toponyms, and cartographic sources; historical research based on bibliographic, iconographic, and archival materials; instrumental surveying through digital photogrammetry using drone photography; reconstruction of the historical-architectural-constructive stratifications, using the method of stratigraphy of elevations, and finally, a proposal for the site's adaptive reuse for exhibition purposes (the structure has remained in a state of ruin since the 1980s). The proposal aims to complete previously unfinished elements of the site, following a sustainable and conservation-oriented approach: the goal is to promote the castle as a cultural resource for the region and as a catalyst for the enhancement of small historic centers.