North Sky Above Mazzallakkar Castle

From the photographer: “There are many wonders that Sicily offers thanks to its important historical stratification. One in particular I had struck me over the years: the submerged fortress of Mazzallakkar. Of Arab origin, the fort is located near the shores of Lake Arancio near the town of Sambuca di Sicilia, formerly a village in the villages of Italy. The main feature of this structure is that for most of the year it is almost totally submerged by the lake. During the summer, due to the scarce rains, the level of the lake lowers showing the fortress. It has a quadrangular shape at whose vertices there are 4 circular towers. On the west-facing wall an access door is still visible from which the village of Sambuca can be seen in the distance. The first tower you meet is still partially intact thanks probably to the fact that it is located at the top less exposed to the water. On the opposite side, towards the lake, you can see the remains of the second tower which looks almost like a small pyramid. Entering the internal courtyard it is possible to approach the third tower which rises on the shores of the lake and which, despite the drought, is still submerged by the waters. It is difficult to read the structure of the castle when viewed from its vicinity. In fact, the walls and towers are not very high and of the remaining structures only the foundations can be seen. The fort stands close to the vineyards of the Planeta Ulmo winery, perfectly immersed in the Sicilian atmosphere of one of the areas most devoted to the production of quality wines. During the evening I was able to admire the sky and the rising of the Milky Way behind the first two towers and the access arch while the constellations of Ursa Major and Cassiopeia revolve around the Polar star belonging to the constellation Ursa Minor. Move the slider on the image to show/hide labels and lines.”

Canon 6d mod, Sigma 20mm, f/2.2, iso 3200, Stack