In the past, it played a strategic role in trade between the Sicilian hinterland and the coast, since the Salso River — of which the Gibesi and Delia rivers and the Paradiso stream are tributaries — was once navigable.
Archaeological excavations conducted between 1985 and 1997 revealed that the site has been inhabited since the third millennium B.C. The castle structure is arranged on four levels: the first varies in height according to the terrain, being lower to the north, with the entrance — covered by a pointed barrel vault — located on the eastern side; the second corresponds to the floor above the entrance vault; the third preserves the only vaulted room still standing today, with a pointed arch ceiling and five arrow slits in the walls; the top level features a crenellated walkway and the remains of the largest tower with four west-facing windows.
The castle was the scene of bloody battles that led to fires and partial destruction, from the Norman conquest to its near-total ruin during the War of the Vespers. Among the many stories that marked its history, one became famous through the Historia Sicula attributed to Nicolò Speciale, which recounts a tragic episode that occurred within the castle walls — later retold in a romanticized version by Mezzabotta at the end of the 19th century, enriched with many details.
The fortress was rebuilt in the 14th century for residential use, and excavations have revealed evidence of occupation by the Ortolano baronial family from the 15th until the first half of the 16th century. From that point onward, the site experienced a first period of abandonment, followed by partial restoration linked to the major construction works for the refounding of Delia beginning in 1598. The final abandonment, which took place during the 17th century, lasted so long that by the mid-18th century Vito Amico described it as a ruin. From then on, the site became known as the Torre del Castellaccio.
At the end of the 19th century, it was declared a national monument and underwent an initial restoration that attributed its origins to the Norman period (thus also called the Castle of the Normans). The castle’s current appearance is the result of excavation and restoration campaigns carried out between 1987 and 1995, which aimed to return the ancient fortress to the form it had at the beginning of the 17th century.