In its remote origins, Eufemio Castle must have been one of the fortified sites built to defend and control the access routes to Segesta. Written documents about it date back only to the mid-12th century, when the Arab traveler and geographer Idrisi described it as an “ancient castle” with “a populated village.”

In the 13th century, it was one of the imperial castles used by Frederick II’s troops in the fight against Muslim rebels, who appear to have had their stronghold in the nearby village of Calatabarbaro, atop the acropolis of Segesta. During this period, the castle was likely restored.

It later served as the residence of the feudal lords of Calatafimi and the governors who administered it on behalf of the crown. In 1282, during the Sicilian Vespers revolt, its feudal lord, Guglielmo Porcelet, probably lived there. Beloved by his subjects, he was spared and sent unharmed with his family to Provence. It then served as a military garrison and prison until 1868, when it was abandoned and began its slow decline.