The area of the castle of Montalbano Elicona identifies with the primitive Roman stronghold on which settles out the successive fortifications of impression of Byzantine and Arab, culminating with the reconstruction carried out by the Normans. Over the past eight centuries of history the castle is passed more times of properties for the alternating and obscure events. The first written documentation is due to the geographer Arab traveller Idrisi that counts in the Book of Ruggero of 1154 as watch tower mail quadrangular at noon provided with defensive walls.
The top core originating, was born as a military garrison but, for its position, it reveals soon inefficient and ineffective as a defensive bulwark. The fortification although located over 900 meters above sea level, controls a limited part of the coast and the access roads placed on the tyrrhenian coast.
Inside the castle are hosted two permanent exhibitions. The first dedicated to Sidearms, which sheds light on the defensive skills acquired in the middle ages by the original reproductions of sidearms for hunting and the protection of the feuds. The weapons are exposed in the racks specially designed and produced for the same characteristics of the cockpits federiciani. From the 13th to the 17th century every message board shows in detail description and the scientific name of the pieces exhibited, with region and dating. The objective is to understand the structure and the historicity of tools that made the fortresses of the period increasingly impregnable.
The second exhibition is dedicated to the Medieval Musical Instruments, five centuries of music from the XI to the XV century to know and to evoke distant harmonies. Expert craftsmanship and technical skills to achieve and to recall to mind the era of “tropes”, “sequences”, “Forms and notations”, that will define the modern concept of “polyphonic music”. The sacred and the profane in search of contemplation typical of laude and the thoughtlessness of songs, ballads, strambotti of jesters and minstrels.