Aragon whose inscription was written in Latin in 1496 on the eastern side of the extant tower. Modern era The 16th century saw extensive fortifications added to the castle. In October 1535 following his conquest of Tunisia, Emperor Charles V made a triumphal visit to Messina where he stopped at Matagrifone Castle as part of his inspection of the city's fortresses. Over the following centuries it was a focal point of a number of rebellions against the ruling Spanish by the populace of Messina. Having suffered damage in the 1783 earthquake, in 1838 it was converted into a Bourbon prison which came under attack a decade later in the 1848 anti-Bourbon insurrection. The prison was described as having been "la prigione più dura e inospitale della città" (the toughest and most inhospitable prison in the city"). Matagrifone was almost completely destroyed in the catastrophic earthquake which struck Messina on 28 December 1908. Only an octagonal tower remains of the castle today, known locally as "Macalda's Tower", along with remnants of the bastion's walls and a 16th century entrance. It is surmounted by a 130 quintal bell made in 1935 from the melted bronze of enemy cannons. That same year the Shrine of Christ the King church and war memorial was built upon the castle ruins into which the tower is incorporated. Places with the same name Mattegriffon was also an alternative name to the castle of Akova in the Peloponnese, which formed the seat of the Barony of Akova within the Principality of Achaea in the 13th and the 14th centuries. References Castles in Sicily Buildings and structures in Messina History of chess Buildings and structures demolished in the 12th century Demolished buildings and structures in Italy