 The castle was built as a refuge and a warning place during a period in which the ravages of Saracen pirates on the Calabrian and Sicilian coasts were frequent.When the Normans conquered southern Italy, the structure was enlarged, with the addition of rectangular towers.In the 13th century the castle became the command center of the flourishing fief of Sant'Aniceto (which included Motta San Giovanni and Montebello).