The Castello Normanno is a medieval castle built on a rocky outcrop extending into the sea at Aci Castello, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily. Normans built the castle in 1076 atop the remains of a seventh-century Byzantine fortification, though its precise construction date is uncertain. The settlement of Aci Castello grew up around the fortress, which expanded further after the 1169 eruption of Mount Etna displaced nearby populations. Control of the castle passed between the Bishops of Catania, the admiral Roger of Lauria, who was granted it in 1296, the forces of King Frederick after a siege, and briefly Spanish forces. Today it survives in ruined form and operates as a museum open to the public.
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