Mategriffon

Mategriffon, also known as Matagrifone or Rocca Guelfonia, was a significant medieval fortress located in Messina, Sicily. Originally constructed as a wooden structure in 1061 by the Norman leader Robert Guiscard, it occupied a strategic rocky hill overlooking the harbor and the Strait of Messina. The castle underwent major transformations throughout its history, notably when King Richard I of England ordered partial demolitions during the Third Crusade in 1190, and later when Emperor Frederick II rebuilt it in limestone in 1240. Its name, translating roughly to "Greek killers," reflects the historical tension with the predominantly Greek ancestry of the local population. Architecturally, the site evolved from a wooden fort into a robust stone complex featuring a square dungeon, ramparts, and polygonal towers designed to dominate the city skyline.

The castle holds deep historical significance as a political stronghold and royal residence. Following the Sicilian Vespers, it served as a refuge for Angevin supporters before passing to the House of Aragon, becoming the home of Queen Constance in the late 13th century. It also functioned as a high-profile prison; notably, Baroness Macalda di Scaletta was imprisoned there in 1285, where she famously played chess with a Tunisian emir, an event cited as the first instance of a Sicilian woman playing the game. The fortress continued to serve various roles, including conversion into a prison during the 19th century, until it suffered catastrophic damage during the devastating 1908 Messina earthquake.

Today, the original castle no longer stands in its entirety, having been largely destroyed by the early 20th-century seismic event. However, its legacy persists through a single surviving octagonal tower that was incorporated into the 20th-century Shrine of Christ the King church. This remaining structure serves as a visible landmark in modern Messina, anchoring the site on Viale Principe Umberto where the once-mighty fortress commanded the harbor. While the main defensive walls and dungeons are gone, the integration of the historic tower into a religious building ensures that Mategriffon remains a tangible connection to the region's complex Norman, Crusader, and Aragonese past.