The Castle of  Nicosia overlooks the city from San Giorgio Mount, an imposing rock of 800 mt.
It has ancient origins and some finds dating back to VII century b.C. has been discovered inside its walls.
It probably was a Byzantine center, won in 1062 by Count Ruggero who made it a fortress and so it remained also during Svevi, Aragoneses and Angioines power; during the Bourbon reign, instead, the castle was made a prison. After the Unity of Italy, the prison was transfered and the fortress was definitively abandoned.
Climbing through a hold lane, we get the Norman bridge 80 mt. long, protected by a battlement and costed by the ruins of two watchtowers.
In the entry we find a lancet arch, while in the internal side there is a round arch which has an aristocratic Norman emblem. Through this door it’s possible to get the main entry of the castle and its strong surrounding walls.
From the bridge, going on a hold walk, we can get the ruins of the Big Castle, which was in origin made up of four towers where lived the soldiers.
Under the bridge there is the Nigrò’ s Cave ( “Dead’s Cave” in Greek language), an unexplored tomb recounted in some popular legends.
From the bridge is also possible to reach the Little Castle, the “ Castelletto”, which was the king of the castle and his family’s home; it is composed of three towers, two cisterns used like tanks, and a sundial escaved in the rock.
Today it is possible to visit the main part of the foundation of  surrounding walls, the bridge, the sundial and some of the little ladders.