The remains of the Ducezio Castle, dating back to the Middle Ages, are visible at the top of the fortress on which Mineo stands.
The castle owes its name to the popular belief that attributes its construction to Ducezio, king of the Sicels from 460 to 450 B.C.
The parts of the walls that can still be seen date from between 1060 and 1181 and are the work of the Normans, who probably built them on top of previous Arab and Roman-Byzantine fortifications. The fortress was originally surrounded by mighty walls and 12 crenellated towers with a square base.
In the centre stood the octagonal main tower. The upper floors of the castle were used as a residence and contained elegant rooms. The Palatine Chapel hosted the wedding between Constance of Aragon and Frederick III in 1361. From the 17th century the castle lost its importance and in the middle of the 17th century it was transformed into a prison.
The earthquake of 1693 almost destroyed it, and the resulting materials were used to build Morgana Palace.
