Anja Tufina

Donnafugata Castle in Sicily is a rather modern building considering that most of the castles in Italy date to the medieval era. First built in the 14th century from the Chiaramonte family, it became the castle that we see now on the 18th century when bought from Corrado Arezzo, an eclectic man of politics that used the castle as a summer playground for his friends. Included in this playground are a huge park and a stone maze where it is said Corrado used to let girls get in and get lost, so that he could enter and be their hero bringing them out of it. Of course me and my travel companion Jessica had to enter, we got in with the idea that it was a piece of cake to enter and exit … it wasn’t. After 35 minutes we managed to find our way out and no prince came to save us and be our hero.

Inside Donnafugata Castle, Sicily

The legend says that the castle takes its name Donnafugata,  which means ‘The woman who fled’  from a tormented love story. Queen Blanche of Navarre had just lost her husband, King Martin I of Aragon and the Italian count Bernando Cabrera wanted to become king by forcing her to marry him. She was hiding in this castle for months before the count took Donnafugata castle under siege. She managed to escape and this marriage never happened. So Queen Blanche is thought to be the woman who fled.  While there is no historic evidence of this version of the story, it is still a story that is told by the guides of the castle and believed by many.

The castle has over 120 rooms all decorated differently one from the other. Most of the inspiration is taken from Versailles especially the mini version of the hall of the mirrors.  The rooms still have the original period furniture, a look to how people slept and partied in the past. Neoclassical paintings, trompe-l’oeil and stucco mirrors can be found in every part of the castle. I asked just in case anyone might be interested if they rented it for weddings and they do for just 3000 euros per day.