Castelbuono (Sicily)

Castelbuono is a town and comune in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily. It is known for its castle with the sumptuous Cappella Palatina, from which its name derives, and around which the city developed in the 14th century. Construction of the Castle began in 1316, by order of Count Francesco I of Ventimiglia, over the ruins of the ancient Byzantine town of Ypsigro, high on the San Pietro hill. Hence its original name, Castello del buon aere ("Castle of good air"), from which the name Castelbuono is derived - literally meaning "good castle". The construction of the Castle mixes Arab-Norman features with others typical of the castles built during the Hohenstaufen rule of southern Italy. Other sights include the church of Matrice Vecchia, the church of San Francesco and the Fountain of Venere Ciprea. In August, on the occasion of the ‘Ypsigrock Festival, the city is filled with young people and new sounds.