Giglio Castello
The Story
The Giglio castello is now a fortified center, enclosed by stone walls with mostly circular towers.
Its history is very ancient and dates back to at least the 12th century when the first castle was built alongside a church on the elevated part facing east.
This area, now known as the fortress, remained the center of military control throughout the island's history, while to the west a village developed along at least two roads that crossed near the parish church, also built in the 12th century but renovated several times in modern times.
The entire visible wall appears to have been built in the late Middle Ages, but with restorations and upgradesto the defensive system (circular towers, outer gate) following the tragic events of the first half of the 16th century when the island was attacked and plundered by pirates. However, the restoration work was not substantial, in the sense that it did not alterthe medieval structure, but only made it more suitable for new siege systems.