The castle of Gerace, positioned right on top of the rocky amber around which the village developed, was built during the 7th century AD and its existence is witnessed already in the 10th century AD when it was devastated, mainly due to earthquakes, together with the city by the Byzantines.
Its restructuring and fortification took place with the arrival of the Normans, around 1050. The remains of the imposing central tower, with a cylindrical plan, of long monolithic basements and walls made of megalithic blocks are particularly interesting.
Surrounded by mighty defensive walls, it possessed ingenious systems for channeling rainwater, which flowed into the large central well. Inside the castle area there was also a small Byzantine oratory with an apse enriched with valuable pictorial decorations and which remained functional until the 17th century.
In addition, the castle had a drawbridge that opened onto the eastern side of the fortress, a large arms room, called Sala di Mileto, a beautiful inner courtyard with a large colonnade, and numerous other rooms used for all functions. Of particular interest are the clearly visible remains of the imposing central tower of the cylindrical-shaped castle, of long monolithic basements, and of walls made of megalithic blocks from the cliff of Gerace.
