CASTRO GIOVANNI, the ancient Erma, a town of Sicily, in the province of Caltanisetta, about a quarter of a mile south of Caltascibetta, which is situated on the railway between Catania and GirgentL It lies almost in the centre of the island, and occupies a well-nigh impregnable position on the irregular but spacious summit of a hill which rises in precipitous cliffs to a height of 2790 feet The town is in general in rather a dilapidated condition, but possesses a number of good ecclesiastical buildings. On the highest point of the hill-top stands the castle, built by Frederic II. of Aragon, probably on the site of the ancient temple of Ceres, which formed the boast of early Sicilians. The town is said by Stephanus of Byzantium to have been founded by Syracuse in the 7th century b.c. ; but it first appears in history as a Siculian city. It fell into the hands of Dionysius of Syracuse in 403; and it was afterwards subject to Agathocles. In 309 it was on⅛ of the first cities to join the Agrigentines in the war of liberation. During the first Punic war it was held for some time by the Carthaginians, and subsequently betrayed to the Romans; and during the second it was delivered to massacre and plunder by the Roman governor Pinarius, who feared a revolt of the citizens. As headquarters of the insurrection of the slaves from 134 to 132 b.c., it defied the consul Rupilius till treachery came to his aid. From the spoliations of Verres it suffered severely, and its importance gradually diminished under the empire. In 837 the Saracens made a vain attempt to take it by storm; but in 859 it was betrayed into the hands of Abbas ibn Fahdl. In 1080 the Normans entered into possession, and the proof of their occupation is still to be found not only in the remains of their buildings ...