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Castello di Lombardia
Cloaked by mist, the streets of Enna feel like they might just float away if it wasn't for the solid mass of the rampart walls and the steadying bulwark of Castello di Lombardia. The original castle was built by the Saracens and later reinforced by the Normans; Frederick II of Hohenstaufen ordered that a powerful curtain wall be built with towers on every side. The wall is still intact but only six of the original 20 towers remain.
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Cortile di San Martino
Within the Castello di Lombardia walls is a complex structure of courtyards; the closest one to the entrance, Cortile di San Martino (Courtyard of St Martin), is used in summer as an outdoor theatre.
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Fontana del Rato di Prosperina
In the evenings the Piazza F Crispi is absolutely heaving with Enna's smooching teenage population, but hustle your way through the crowd to enjoy the sunset over the rust red buildings of Calascibetta. In the centre is the Fontana del Rato di Prosperina (the Fountain of the Rape of Proserpina), commemorating Enna's most enduring legend. It is actually a copy of Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini's original, which is in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.
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Museo Alessi
The Museo Alessi houses the valuable contents of the cathedral's treasury. It was unfortunately closed in April 2007 due to a lack of funds, and locals and visitors are eagerly awaiting its reopening, which will happen as soon as the lacking funds are found.
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Museo Archeologico di Palazzo Varisano
On the far side of Piazza Mazzini from the cathedral is the Museo Archeologico di Palazzo Varisano, which has a good, if small, collection of artefacts (labelled in Italian) excavated from throughout the region. Of particular interest is the Attic-style red-and-black krater (drinking vases) found in the town itself.
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Palazzo Pollicarini
On the southwestern side of Piazza Colaianni next to the Grande Albergo Sicilia, is the Catalan-Gothic Palazzo Pollicarini, one of Enna's most handsome buildings. Although it has been converted into private apartments, you can still nip in to take a peek at the medieval staircase in the central courtyard.
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Temple of Demeter
To the north of the castle a small road leads quickly down to the superbly sited foundations of the Temple of Demeter (Ceres to the Romans), the goddess of fertility and agriculture. In classical times it was the centre of a massive fertility cult, and in 480 BC the tyrant Gelon built a temple here lest his plans for the capture of Syracuse be foiled by a couple of bad harvests. The temple is also supposed to have featured a statue of King Triptolemus, the only mortal to witness the rape of Demeter's daughter Persephone by the Hades, the god of the underworld. In return for spilling the beans, Demeter taught Triptolemus the secrets of agriculture, from which Enna has benefited ever since. The temple's remains are not enclosed, and it's a great spot for a picnic or to take in the sunset.
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Torre di Federico II
Secret passageways once led to the octagonal Torre di Federico II, which now stands in the Enna's public garden; once part of the town's old defence system, it stands nearly 24m high.
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Torre Pisano
From Cortile di San Martino (Courtyard of St Martin) you can climb up Torre Pisano, from where there are fabulous views - at least when the fog, an enduring element of Enna's weather, has lifted.
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Via Roma Cathedral
The Via Roma Cathedral has a composite style that's the result of the waves of invaders who sought to possess the mountain eyrie. In 1446 a fire destroyed the church, which was slowly rebuilt in early baroque style over the next 200 years. The curious façade (complete with 17th-century bell tower) covers its Gothic predecessor, while the rich interior is almost entirely baroque in design. The dark grey basalt columns are worth looking at for their highly ornamented bases, which are carved with a series of grotesques such as snakes with human heads.
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