The Castle of Altafiumara was born as a Bourbon fortress at the end of ‘700 with the name of Forte di Santa Trada. It had mainly military function, to defend from the incursions coming from the sea; together with the fort of Torre Cavallo it represented a strategic point in the control of the Strait of Messina, in fact, with its strategic position it guaranteed the control of the Strait to the Spanish first and then to the Bourbons and the French.
After the damage caused to the fort by the earthquake of 1783, Murat, then King of Naples, ordered its restoration in 1811. In 1860 it was the scene of clashes between the Bourbons and Garibaldi’s troops, whose landing took place right at the mouth of the S. Trada stream. Clashes that led the Garibaldini to take control of the fortress.
Once its military function was completed, the structure was reduced to ruins.
Later bought by a private company, it was transformed into a tourist facility.
