The majestic Castel del Monte is one of the most famous sights in the Italian region of Apulia. Moreover, it will not be an exaggeration to say that this is one of the most mysterious castles in the world.
Unlike other mystical places, the amazing castle is not hidden from prying eyes behind mountains and forests. On the contrary, it is visible from afar. You drive along the freeway and you see, here he is, a handsome man, towering on top of a hill. And it doesn’t matter that the name of the building is translated as “castle on the mountain”, only those who have never seen real mountains in their life can literally perceive the name Castel del Monte. It was built on a castle on the very spot where the monastery of Maria del Monte was located until the thirteenth century, hence the first name of the building, which few people remember today - castrum Sancta Maria de Monte.
In the photo: view of Castel del Monte
Today, the crowd of people does not dry out to Castel del Monte. For this, many thanks to the magical world of cinema and the Italian director Matteo Garrone in particular, because it was in the unusual halls of this monumental building that he settled the characters - the king who raised a flea, and the princess, whom the eccentric dad married an ogre. Curiously, until the twentieth century, the castle was in an abandoned state, and shepherds spent the night there. Today, the architectural structure is under the care of UNESCO, as a result, it was washed and put in order, only the interior decoration of the halls was not preserved - the same Matteo Garrone had to hastily fill the space of the premises with props brought to the castle.
In the photo: shooting the film "Penny Dreadful"
Garrone chose Castel del Monte to film the fairy tales of the Neapolitan Giambattista Basile for a reason, because this place is mysterious to the point of impossibility. Although located 16 kilometers from the city of Andria, Castel del Monte bears the honorary title of one of the most famous medieval castles in the world, in its essence it is not a castle.
Frame from the movie "Penny Dreadful", the princess and the king on the roof of the castle
The fact is that in the understanding of a normal person of the Middle Ages, the castle could be built for only one of two purposes. The first goal, it is also the main one - defense and control of the area. In this case, one or another lord erected a small fortress, as a rule, on the top of a mountain, which helped repel enemy attacks, and at the same time influence the situation in the region as a whole. The second task is a fortified place to live. Sometimes castles grew to the size of cities, take, for example, but their powerful walls again made it possible to hold back hordes of enemies.
But Castel del Monte is not intended for defense at all. Where are the fortress walls and the moat with water? Where are any decent defensive fortifications? This place also seems unsuitable for life. Of course, even Walter Scott in his "Ivanhoe" wrote that the concept of "comfort" did not exist in the Middle Ages, but this castle, even by medieval standards, is far from the home of a self-respecting lord. It's okay that all the halls inside are connected to each other, but, most importantly, there is no place for a stable here and there is no kitchen. So, most of all, the castle looks like a kind of old art object, built for the sake of ideas, such houses are sometimes designed by modern architects who have received absolute carte blanche to implement their creative ideas, coupled with an unlimited budget.
This association is very appropriate if you know who built Castel del Monte. The emperor Friedrich II Staufen himself erected a castle on the mountain - a legendary person in every respect. He not only managed to win back the title of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from competitors and lead the sixth crusade, but was also considered one of the most educated people of his time. He knew Greek, Latin and Arabic, founded a university in Naples, where not only Christians, but also Jews and Arabs taught, and this, by the way, is the height of tolerance by medieval standards. On the whole, Frederick II was very far from Christian prejudices, here are illustrative examples: the emperor insisted that doctors study anatomy on corpses, and Frederick also warmly treated Fibonacci and even arranged mathematical tournaments.
In the photo: an engraving depicting Frederick II
The emperor also had a penchant for writing: an essay on falconry is attributed to his pen, and at his court he created the Sicilian school of poetry. At the same time, like all progressive people of his time, Frederick II was a fan of a wide variety of mystical teachings, studied astronomy and astrology. With the personal life of the emperor, everything was also interesting, he earned the reputation of the Bluebeard, because he was married four times, however, the church did not recognize his last marriage with his constant mistress Bianca Lancia. Children Frederick II spawned a great many - 20 legal, bastards, for obvious reasons, no one scrupulously counted.
Castel del Monte Frederick II built from 1240 to 1250, that is, in the last decade of his life. The name of the architect is unknown, but many historians, not without reason, believe that he was the emperor himself - the result was a painfully intricate design. The fact is that, like many medieval mystics, Frederick was obsessed with the number eight, which symbolizes infinity, and it is constantly traced in the structure of the castle.
It’s worth starting with the fact that the castle, when viewed from above, is a regular octagon, and an octagonal tower has been erected on each corner of the structure. The inner courtyard of the castle also repeats the shape of the octagon. The castle has only two floors, the roof is flat, and the main entrance to Castel del Monte looks strictly to the east, because, as they believed in the Middle Ages, the good news came to us from the east.
In the photo: windows overlooking the courtyard of the castle
There are 8 rooms on each floor of the castle, all of them are connected to each other, so Castell del Monte can easily be walked around the perimeter. The rooms are made in the form of trapeziums, and windows are cut through in the walls. Toilets, wardrobes and spiral staircases are located in the corner turrets. By the way, the stairs in the castle are a different story - usually in all castles they are “twisted” to the right, since this is optimal for the defense of the object, but in Castel del Monte, on the contrary, they are “turned” to the left, that is, the way nature, because mollusk shells or snail shells are twisted to the left.
In the photo: stairs in Castel del Monte
All rooms of the castle are exactly the same, the rooms differ from each other only in the location of the doors and the number of windows. The number eight again dominates in the decor elements: on the capitals of the columns - eight leaves, on the bas-reliefs in the rooms - eight leaves or clover flowers.
Another interesting thing is that direct rays of sunlight fall into the windows of the second floor twice a day (this rule only works with the first floor in summer), so many people assume that the mysterious castle is nothing more than a huge sundial, but at the same time an astronomical one. device. In addition, twice a year during the summer and winter solstices, sunlight is evenly distributed between all the rooms on the ground floor. This, of course, is also no coincidence, so many historians suggest that the first floor of Castel del Monte is a kind of analogue of the solar calendar.
One could calm down here, but here's another curious reason for you to think - twice a year, on April 8 and October 8, the sun's rays pass through the windows of the castle into the courtyard in such a way that they fall strictly on that part of the wall where in the time of Frederick II, a bas-relief was carved, now lost. Well, in order to make everything quite difficult, it is worth remembering that October in the thirteenth century was considered the eighth month of the year.
Frederick II died before he could complete the construction of the castle - the building of Castel del Monte was completed, but the interior decoration was not completed to the end. After the death of the emperor, there were legends in Europe that Frederick did not die, but disappeared in an unknown direction in order to reform the church and establish universal brotherhood and peace. A certain symbolism is seen in this, because the octagon, repeated in the structure of Castel del Monte, in the Middle Ages symbolized the transition from the world of the living to the kingdom of the dead, and at the same time the unity of heaven and earth.
Everything is very simple here - the square was considered a symbol of the earth, the circle - a symbol of the sky, and the octagon - an intermediate figure, denoting both unity and transition. However, scientists far from mysticism believe that the repeated use of the octagon is simply a reference to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, because Frederick II saw the dome over the cornerstone during his crusade.
Encrypted in Castel del Monte and biblical symbols. The fact is that there are exactly five water collectors and five fireplaces in the castle, many associate this with the phrase of the Baptist John from the Gospel of Luke: “I baptize you in water for repentance, but He who comes after me is stronger than me; I am not worthy to bear His shoes; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." So, it is easy to assume that Castel del Monte was for Frederick II an analogue of the temple, built according to his personal project, and this fully meets the ambitions of the emperor.
By the way, this hypothesis is confirmed by another interesting detail. If you look closely at the entrance to the castle, you can see the giant letter F encrypted there. If the tomb of Frederick II was inside, associations with the pyramids would be inevitable, and so Castel del Monte seems to be a kind of personal portal of the emperor, erected according to his plan and in his honor. At least, when you stand in the courtyard of the castle and, with your head up, look at the sky imprisoned in an octagon of powerful walls made of limestone, even the most inveterate materialists have a feeling of belonging to the medieval magical tradition. Yes, and the energy of this place is special, in the style of those very "Terrible Tales" by Matteo Garrone.
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Julia Malkova- Julia Malkova - founder of the website project. Former editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about traveling for my own pleasure and the pleasure of readers. If you are a representative of hotels, tourism office, but we are not familiar, you can contact me by email: [email protected]
Castel del Monte is a rather mysterious building, the true purpose of which is now unknown to anyone. What kind of castle is this without a moat and a rampart, without a bridge and a room for storing supplies in case of a siege, without a kitchen and a stable, but with a portal reminiscent of a church?
This is one of the most outstanding castles from the time of Emperor Frederick II. Another name for the castle is the "Crown of Puglia".
Castel del Monte is located in Puglia, 16 km from the city of Andria, in a place called "Terra di Bari" on a low hill next to the monastery of Santa Maria del Monte at an altitude of 540 m above sea level. It is believed that the castle was built on the site of an ancient fortress, of which, however, no traces have survived. 
The construction of the castle is mentioned in only one document that has survived to this day. It is dated January 29, 1240, and it states that Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II Staufen (German: Friedrich II von Hohenstaufen) orders the governor and judge Richard de Montefuscolo to buy lime, stone and everything necessary ...
However, further from the document it is not entirely clear what is meant - the beginning of construction or some kind of finishing work. Another document issued in 1241-1246 speaks in favor of the latest version. - Statutum de reparatione castrorum (list of fortifications that require repair). It lists Castel del Monte as a castle already built. 
Unfortunately, there is no reliable evidence that Frederick II ever rested in the castle or used it as a hunting residence.
The emperor was one of the most educated people of his time, he knew Greek, Arabic and Latin. At the court of Frederick, mathematical competitions were organized in which Fibonacci took part, which may have to some extent influenced the strict architectural forms of Castell del Monte. 
In 1250 Frederick II dies and the castle passes to his sons.
In 1266, after Frederick's son Manfred lost in the struggle for the throne of Sicily and Naples and died, Manfred's young children - Frederick, Henry and Enzo - were imprisoned in the castle by the winner of this confrontation, Charles of Anjou for 33 long years.
Subsequently, the castle was almost abandoned and was only occasionally used as a venue for wedding ceremonies.
In the middle of the 17th century, Castel del Monte served for the last time as a refuge for noble families who found salvation from the plague here.
Castel del Monte has two floors with a flat roof. Outside, the castle is a regular octagon, the side of which is 16.5 meters. At each corner of the building is an octagonal tower. Strictly in the middle of the height along the entire perimeter there is a small cornice that separates the floors from each other. The second cornice separates the basement of the building and runs at a height of about 2 meters. The courtyard is also a regular octagon, the height of the walls of which, counting from the surface of the courtyard, is 20.5 meters, the height of the corner towers is slightly larger. 
Each corner is crowned with an octagonal tower, the courtyard also has eight corners. The whole architectural design is closely connected with the number eight, which in numerology is considered a symbol of infinity and the world, occupies an intermediary position between the world of Earth and Heaven. This makes us think about the special purpose of the castle, perhaps it was an observatory of medieval times, perhaps it was used for alchemy or occultism. 
Panorama of the courtyard of Castel del Monte
The main entrance faces strictly east. On the opposite, western side is the second entrance. The entire building is built of polished limestone, while the window frames, columns and portals are made of marble. Each side of the outer wall has two windows - one single-arched on the first floor and the other double-arched on the second floor. Only the north-facing window on the second floor has three arches. 
Three exits on the ground floor lead to the courtyard. In addition, on the second floor there are also three doors that led to a wooden balcony, which, unfortunately, has not survived to this day. There are also other small windows in the walls, through which light enters each room through the inner and outer walls. 
The interior of the castle consists of 16 regular trapezoids, and eight are located on the first and second floors. Dressing rooms, toilets and spiral staircases are located in the corner turrets. It is noteworthy that spiral staircases twist, as a rule, to the right, as this is necessary for the defense of the building. Here, on the contrary, spiral staircases twist to the left, as if repeating the shape of a snail's shell. 
All rooms on both floors have the same shape, but they differ in the location of the doors. Two halls located on the first floor are connected to the street by east and west portals, but they do not have access to the courtyard of the fortress, but are connected to other halls. Halls with several doors are called walk-throughs. 
Also in the fortress there are four end halls, two on the first and second floors, with only one door. Each end hall has a fireplace and an entrance to the toilet, which is located in the tower adjacent to the hall. The latrines were always well ventilated through openings in the walls and flushed with water from tanks that were installed on the roof of the castle. One of the end rooms on the second floor is called the throne room. The window in it faces east and is located above the main portal. There is no fireplace and passage to the toilet in this room.
At the same time, there are no bedrooms, no living rooms, no kitchen, no rooms for servants in the castle. 
Sunlight directly penetrates into the premises of the second floor twice a day all year round, and direct sunlight penetrates into the premises of the first floor only in summer. Thus, the upper part of the fortress is a huge sundial. Two days a year - during the summer and winter solstice, the sun's rays are evenly distributed between all rooms on the ground floor.
So, the first floor could serve as a calendar for the inhabitants of the castle, and the whole building can be considered as an extraordinary astronomical instrument. 
In 1876, the castle was bought by the state, it was restored and put in order. In 1996, Castel del Monte was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
And now everyone can admire the Castel del Monte, a castle similar in shape to the crown in which Frederick II was crowned and located in an absolutely strategically disadvantageous position among open space.
The unique medieval Castel del Monte is the most famous of the many castles built in 13th century Italy by Frederick II. He was engaged in strengthening the Adriatic coast from invasion. The castle on the mountain began to be built at the beginning of the century, shortly after the return of the emperor to the kingdom of Sicily from Germany. Frederick strengthened the northern coastal regions of Sicily. Traces of his reign can be traced on the Adriatic and the Ionian coast. In Puglia he built from scratch or restored fortresses on Mount Gargano, at Monte Sant'Angelo, Fiorentino at Lucera, at Melfi, at Bari, at Barletta, at Gioia del Colle and elsewhere. Some of them were on sites fortified earlier by the Norman founders of the kingdom of Sicily. Altogether, counting the island of Sicily, Calabria and Apulia, Frederick built or rebuilt about two dozen fortresses during his reign.
The unique medieval castle on the mountain is widely known outside of Italy due to its unique octagonal shape. This is one of the most mysterious buildings commissioned by Frederick II. The castle, where, perhaps, the emperor never lived, but where, paradoxically, the imagination draws his presence, appears before the eyes at an altitude of 540 meters above sea level. The A16 motorway of Bari-Canosa leads to Castel del Monte, turning off onto the Andria-Barletta highway after 18 kilometers, the main attraction of Puglia will appear in front of your eyes. The full name of the castle is Santa Maria del Monte. It was named after the church, an earlier building now lost.
History of Castel del Monte
The construction of the castle began in 1240 and ended in 1249. There is not enough information about its original purpose. Most likely it was not intended as a fortress. There are no typical defensive structures, such as ditches, drawbridges, underground passages, to confirm the hypothesis of a defensive purpose. However, the walls of both the outer and inner perimeters are striking in their thickness of two and a half meters. There is some evidence that the castle was built on the site of an earlier Norman fortress. In any case, its location on a mountain, next to the Roman Via Trajan leading from Benevento to Brindisi, filled a gap in the grandiose chain of castles and fortresses built by Frederick. And the location on top of a single high hill on a vast flat plain undoubtedly gives it a dominant importance.
Architectural features of the castle
In terms of architecture, the castle is one of the first examples of the Gothic style in Puglia. This, however, is a special Gothic. The whole structure is octagonal. The castle was built in the form of an octagon with a diagonal of 56 meters, with octagonal towers attached to each corner. The courtyard is also an octagon. The entrance is framed by a magnificent arched portal. The main gate, supported by lions, faces the sea to the east. Between the outer towers are Gothic windows framed by elegant pink marble columns with capitals. The window above the main entrance is wider than on the other sides and is framed with patterns. On each of the two floors of the castle there are eight large rooms. Red marble columns with Corinthian capitals sit at the corners of the rooms, supporting ornate vaulted ceilings. Wide marble steps lead up to the windows. In some places, fragments of the original mosaic floor have been preserved.
The mystery of the shape of the castle base is continuously interpreted by all sorts of esoteric, astrological and geometric theories. Numerology and magical-mystical symbolism of the "eight" in Castel del Monte haunts lovers of supernatural theories. The number 8 has secular, religious and mythological significance.
Possible symbolism in the castle's octagonal architecture:
- inverted infinity symbol;
- unification of divine infinity and human mortality;
- element of the sequence of Fibonacci numbers;
- symbol of harmony;
- the number of divine justice;
- 8 angels carrying the arsh in Islam;
- number of compass directions;
- musical interval octave;
- Buddhist wheel of life with eight spokes dhamma chakra;
- magical heavenly number;
- the great eight from the Egyptian mythology of the Ogdoad;
Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen
The figure of the founder of the castle is amazing. As the grandson of Frederick I Barbarossa, who drowned in 1190 during his third crusade to Palestine, the son of Henry VI and his wife Constance, Frederick became king of Sicily at the age of 4 years. He had plenty of time to perfect himself in absolute monarchy on his way to ruling the Holy Roman Empire. Being in official marriages four times and having connections on the side, he left the world at least 20 descendants. He was not a typical ruler: he was fluent in six languages, including Arabic, in which he read the Koran, showed an interest in medicine, understood philosophy, wrote poetry and honored the sciences.
Frederick II (Holy Roman Emperor)
The Byzantines and Normans before him left magnificent ecclesiastical architecture in Apulia, and Frederick II added Altamura Cathedral to this. However, his real weakness was the construction of castles, some of which were used as hunting lodges. He built about 200 fortresses in southern Italy and Sicily, some of which were so large that they looked more like palaces.
Left without proper care since the eighteenth century, the castle was devastated, stripped of marble and furniture, and to top it all served as a refuge for shepherds, bandits and refugees at various times. In 1876, without waiting for the final destruction, it was bought by the Italian government. Restoration work was carried out in parallel with proper research and development, from 1928 until the eighties of the last century. For its uniqueness, UNESCO included in 1996 Castel del Monte in the list of World Heritage Sites. The castle was honored to be placed on the Italian euro-cent.
Lock operation mode
Open: from 9:00 to 18:30 - October 1 to March 31, from 10:15 to 19:45 - from April 1 to September 30. Closed for visiting from December 25 to May 2. Tours cost 2.5 euros (for students) and 5 euros (for adults).
About the castle
Castle del Monte (Castel del Monte) rises alone on a secluded hill of the Western Murge in the desert area of the city of Andria in the province of Bari, at an altitude of 560 meters above sea level. The castle complex received its modern name only at the end of the 15th century; the original name has not been preserved. The castle Castel del Monte was named after the ancient settlement of the same name at the foot of the hill, on which there was a small monastery of Santa Maria del Monte. Often the locals of Andria call it the "Crown of Puglia".
Historians believe that Castel del Monte was conceived as a hunting residence, but the interior decoration of the rooms was too richly decorated and furnished with luxurious furniture for such purposes.
Castel del Monte is a two-storey building with a flat roof. Externally, the palace is a regular octagon with a length of each side equal to 16.5 meters.
At each of the corners rises a magnificent octagonal tower. Exactly in the center of the height along the entire perimeter of the castle complex, a narrow cornice stretched, which serves as a visual division of the floors. The upper cornice separates the plinth of the palace and is located at a height of 2 meters.
The courtyard of the Castel del Monte castle is shaped according to the outlines of the building itself. The height of the structure from the inner side of the courtyard is 20.5 meters, only the corner towers proudly protrude upwards. On the roof of the castle, a neatly paved terrace is laid out in the form of a herringbone, which offers stunning panoramic views of the sea.
The facade of the main entrance faces the east side. There is a second emergency entrance on the western wall. The building is built of polished limestone, and only round columns, decorative window frames and facades are made of high-quality marble. Each of the outer walls has two windows, on the first one - single-arch, on the second - two-arch. A bright decoration of the north side on the second floor is a single window with three arches. The interior apartments are shaped like a regular trapezoid. There are only 16 full-fledged rooms in the castle - eight on each floor. Despite the fact that all apartments have a similar shape, they differ in the location of the doors. Two large halls of Castel del Monte have exits on both sides of the building and are connected to neighboring halls, while they do not have an entrance to the courtyard. In addition to passage rooms, there are also end rooms in the fortress with one door to the corridor. The most striking of these rooms is the Throne Room.
Corner towers serve as wardrobes, bathrooms and spiral staircases. Moreover, the arrangement of the latrines of Castel del Monte proves the high level of sanitary standards in a civilized society of the Middle Ages. All toilets were well ventilated through slots in the walls and flushed with water from tanks installed on the roof. An interesting fact is that the stairs do not traditionally twist to the right, but to the left, similar to the physiology of nature, as, for example, the shell of a snail twists to the right.
There is a legend that the romantic and mysterious Castel del Monte has a secret underground eighteen-kilometer tunnel to the Ducale di Andria castle, and a four-kilometer passage to the Castello di Canosa fortress.
Story
Castel del Monte was built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, who thought of a bright and original design for the fortress. Until now, historians are arguing about the timing of the construction of the complex. According to some documents, it becomes clear that the decree of Frederick II was issued in 1237 and states the construction of a new castle in Santa Maria di Monte.
From other documents it follows that the decree of the king dates back to 1240 and prompted the restoration of the fortress, previously built by the Lombard Robert Giscard and his son Roger Norman in 1073.
In any case, Castel del Monte acquired a modern look under Frederick II and bears resemblance to other fortifications of this era, designed to protect against an external enemy, such as Barletta, Bari, Brindisi, Cosenza, Gioia del Colle, etc.
In 1266, in the war for dominance over the territories of Sicily and Naples, Frederick's son Manfred was defeated and killed. This ended the rule of the Swabian dynasty in Italy. The winner of the Battle of Benevento, Charles of Anjou, imprisoned the underage children of Manfred - Friedrich, Heinrich and Enzo, where they spent as much as 33 years. After that, Castel del Monte was used from time to time for wedding ceremonies.
In 1459, the fortress passed into the possession of the noble Italian family of Senor Ferrante of Aragon. And in 1656, the castle last served as a residence for the noble families of Italy fleeing the plague, which raged in the city of Andria. And after some time, Castel del Monte was empty and only in the 19th century turned into a house of shepherds, local robbers and marauders. During this period, the castle was plundered, precious marble materials were stripped from the walls, and rich sculptures were sold.
In 1876, the fortification passed into the possession of the noble Carafa family, who took up its restoration and reconstruction.
Currently, Castel del Monte is a monument of medieval architecture and is open to all tourists.
Tourist information
Tour time: ~ 30 min
Working hours:
March - September from 10.45 - 19.45. October - February 09.45 - 18.45, closed on Christmas and New Year.
November 27th, 2013
Castle del Monte (Castel del Monte) rises alone on a secluded hill of the Western Murge in the desert area of the city of Andria in the province of Bari, at an altitude of 560 meters above sea level. The castle complex received its modern name only at the end of the 15th century; the original name has not been preserved. The castle Castel del Monte was named after the ancient settlement of the same name at the foot of the hill, on which there was a small monastery of Santa Maria del Monte. Often the locals of Andria call it the "Crown of Puglia".
The Middle Ages is a huge historical period associated with large-scale events and significant changes in all spheres of life, both individual states and entire nations of Europe and Asia. This is the time of the fall of the Roman Empire and the Great Migration of Peoples that began after this, which in the future, for many centuries, will serve as fertile ground for the emergence of countless cultural, linguistic and religious conflicts between the Germanic and Romanesque peoples who previously lived on the territory of the once united empire. The “Dark Ages”, as the famous Italian poet Petrarch rightly calls this era, despite the global upheavals, without which not a single civilization has ever managed in the history of its development, will also become a time of great transformations.
As never before, the church in the person of the Pope will gain unprecedented power and power, which will have to be reckoned with by everyone, from the inhabitants of remote settlements and residents of enlightened cities to monarchs and kings. This is the heyday of the ideals of monasticism and the boundless power of the Inquisition, which sows the same horror in the souls of hardened heretics and the most devout parishioners. The time of chivalry and incessant clashes, when Christians shed each other's blood in constant internecine wars, and the time of the Great Crusades, when the blood of Muslims and crusaders was shed no less on the battlefields in the struggle for holy Jerusalem. 
Of course, in order to get even an approximate idea of the Middle Ages, which took almost nine centuries in the history of mankind, it will be necessary to get acquainted with much more extensive information. But even the mention of these several significant events allows us to get an idea of the time and conditions in which the largely mysterious and in its own way unique Castel del Monte castle was built. And in order to better understand the features of the architecture of the castle or its true purpose, and perhaps try to find clues to some of the secrets that Castel del Monte is generously shrouded in, it is worth paying attention to the direct owner of the castle, whose personality seems to be just as colorful how contradictory.
Much can be said about this man, whose lust for power and cruelty knew no bounds, but the mention of only one fact from his turbulent life gives a very clear and visual idea of the ambiguous character and disposition of this person. So, never having deep religious feelings and in every possible way delaying his participation in the next Crusade, this man nevertheless managed to achieve the seemingly impossible - to be excommunicated from the church and, despite the papal anathema, to win the Crusade and return to the Christian world Jerusalem. We are talking about none other than the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the ruler of Germany, King of Sicily and Jerusalem Frederick II Hohenstaufen.
The construction of the castle is mentioned in only one document that has survived to this day. It is dated January 29th, 1240 and it states that the Holy Roman Emperor Empire Friedrich II Staufen ( German Friedrich II von Hohenstaufen) orders the governor and the judge Richard de Montefuscolo buy lime, stone and everything you need ...
…pro castro quod apud Sanctam Mariam de Monte fieri volumus…
(for the castle that we want to build next to the church of St. Mary on the hill).
However, further from the document it is not entirely clear what is meant - the beginning of construction or some final work. In favor of the latest version is another document released by in 1241-1246. - Statutum de reparatione castrorum ( list of fortifications that require repair). It lists Castel del Monte as a castle already built.
As a place for the future construction of the next castle, Frederick II chooses Apulia, a region that was part of the Kingdom of Sicily at that time (now a region of the province of Bari in southern Italy), where he, in fact, grew up and lived all his childhood and youth. According to the current legend, Castel del Monte (from Italian "castle on the mountain" or "castle of the mountain") was built on the site of the ruins of the abandoned monastery of St. Mary, or rather, on a small hill-like elevation located in the middle of a deserted flat area (16 km from the city of Andria), later called Terra di Bari. Hence the origin of the original name of the castle Castrum Santa Maria de Monte, which has been preserved for him for a long time.
The construction of the castle began in 1240, and the completion of work dates back to 1250, that is, by a strange (and possibly purely accidental) coincidence, the completion of Castel del Monte coincided with the year of the death of Frederick II. Which, even discarding the pretense of mystery, involuntarily suggests a certain symbolism, because after the death of the emperor, the entire house of Hohenstaufen will soon disappear. And one of the most striking reminders of the great dynasty of the South German kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire remains just the same castle of Castel del Monte, which has invariably towered over the plains of Puglia for almost 800 years.
According to the surviving written evidence, it is known that Frederick II preferred the construction of facilities and structures for exclusively military purposes. Therefore, it is not surprising that during his reign he managed to rebuild more than 200 castles and fortresses and at the same time was mentioned as the founder of only one church in Altamura. There were even legends about the emperor’s passion for defensive fortifications, as if court nobles sometimes begged their ruler to finally take a break and not build so many new castles. But it is not difficult to explain such a sacrifice of the spiritual needs of one's people for the sake of purely practical military goals, it is enough just to recall the difficult and irreconcilable relationship between the emperor and the Pope.
In those days, the Papal States, by all means, sought to protect itself and its possessions from the encroachments of the Holy Roman Empire, and therefore extremely tense relations always remained between each newly elected pope and the emperor. And even the first and second excommunications from the Church of Frederick II (in 1227 and 1239) and the nickname of the “real Antichrist”, firmly entrenched in the emperor, are hardly able to show the hostility and hatred that they had for each other, perhaps, at that time two of the most powerful rulers of the Catholic world. Therefore, the struggle of Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX for the central part of Italy, which eventually developed into an open and fierce confrontation, simply could not but affect the policy pursued by the emperor. The more mysterious against the backdrop of constant wars and uprisings that Frederick II waged and suppressed, his idea of \u200b\u200bbuilding the Castel del Monte castle looks like, which, in fact, is neither a castle nor a fortress.
The completely non-standard form of a regular octagon was taken as the basis for the two-story structure of Castel del Monte, thanks to which the castle remains the only fortification with such an unusual layout. And among all the medieval castles of Western Europe. Which, in fact, makes it difficult, and often baffles modern researchers who are looking for reliable analogues that in the 13th century could inspire Frederick II to build such an unusual building for his era. But knowing that the emperor was well acquainted with the mentality of the Eastern people (especially the Saracens), his tolerance for foreign cultures and religions, and his extreme free-thinking, one can assume that the prototypes of the future Castel del Monte could be borrowed by Frederick II from the Muslim world, during his crusade to the Holy Land.
The Dome of the Rock Mosque, built in Jerusalem as early as the 7th century AD, is often associated with this version. and also shaped like an octagon. Returning to the castle, it is worth paying attention that in addition to the octagonal walls 25 meters high, octagonal towers adjoin each of the corners of the castle, whose peaks rise above the ground a little higher - 26 meters. As you can easily see, the number of corners and, accordingly, the towers of Castel del Monte is eight, but on each of the two floors of the castle there are eight identical halls, and looking at the decorations of the rooms, you can also find a frequent eightfold repetition of the details of the internal ornament.
And as if this repetition of the number 8 seemed small, the courtyard of the castle, which could well have the shape of a circle or square, also represents the same octagon. Hence, it is not surprising that the strong association of the Castel del Monte castle with the mysterious number 8, which constantly serves as an object of increased interest for both historians, adherents of numerology, and ordinary lovers of secrets and mysteries, is not surprising.
Due to its external similarity, Castel del Monte is often called the "crown of Puglia". Indeed, this comparison seems to be fair, and not only because of the external similarity, but also because Frederick II wore the eight-pointed crown. So the castle and its characteristic shape could serve as a symbol of the emperor's power, which he wished to capture "in stone". Strictly speaking, only limestone (base) and marble (columns, window and portal decoration) were used in the construction of the castle, but this does not in the least violate the version of the castle-symbol, but rather, on the contrary, only once again confirms it. Marble as a building material, no doubt, has a lot of advantages, but it is hardly suitable for the construction of such powerful defensive fortifications as castles, fortresses or forts.
Thus, the origin of the number 8 is largely associated directly with the architecture of Castell del Monte. True, there are other assumptions, because the same figure can also be seen in the ring of Frederick II decorated with eight petals, and looking into the history of various cultures and teachings, you can also find your own interpretation of the symbolism of the number 8, as the personification of power, wealth, success or good luck . But let's finally leave the numbers and go directly to the features of the arrangement of the castle, which could equally well be called a hunting residence, a monument, a kind of observatory, or even a religious building.
During the construction of fortifications of the Middle Ages, paramount importance has always been given to the ability of a castle or fortress to withstand any attacks and their ability to withstand long sieges. But, turning to the history of Castel del Monte, you can find a strange feature - ditches have never been dug around the castle and earthen ramparts have not even been piled up. In addition, there are no storage facilities in the castle where, in the event of a siege, food supplies should be saved. On the other hand, looking closely at the castle, along with small windows, one can also notice the narrow slots of the loopholes arranged along the perimeter of all the towers. This means that the small garrison that could have been accommodated in the interior could still count on at least some advantage (in addition to impressive walls) during the defense of the castle. But then it becomes completely incomprehensible why the spiral staircases in the towers of Castel del Monte are twisted "in the wrong direction." According to one of the rules of "castle building", spiral staircases must rise from floor to floor in a clockwise direction.
This provides the defenders of the castles with a better position, as the attacking soldiers have to climb stairs and fight in an awkward position. But the thing is that the soldiers going to storm the castle are deprived of the opportunity to inflict the most powerful blows with their main weapon - swords, because this requires swinging from right to left, while the soldiers defending the castle, due to the twisting of the stairs and the higher her position will always be slightly to the right. So the non-standard (counter-clockwise) direction of the spiral staircases of Castel del Monte would have received at least some justification only if the castle was besieged by troops consisting exclusively of left-handers. Or, more obviously, Frederick II in this way once again emphasized the non-defensive purpose of the castle.
Among the emperor's hobbies, falconry occupied a special place, to which he devoted a lot of his free time. And based on his own observations and experiments, Frederick II even wrote a treatise "The Art of Hunting with Birds." So, based on the passion of the emperor for hunting, there is an assumption about the construction of Castel del Monte as a hunting residence. But such an idea is called into question by the extreme luxury and exorbitant wealth of the interior, which the castle could boast at the time of its completion. Another purpose of Castel del Monte is associated with the peculiarities of the orientation of its entrances and windows to the cardinal points.
The main gate of the castle goes exactly to the east, and the spare gates are located strictly in the opposite - western - direction. As for the windows, both external and overlooking the courtyard, they are arranged in such a way that the premises of the second floor are illuminated by direct sunlight throughout the year, and the eight halls of the first floor receive natural and, interestingly, during the summer and winter solstices. , absolutely uniform illumination. Hence the version about the castle as a medieval observatory or a huge astronomical calendar was born.
Supporters of the occult and mysticism make their contribution to the birth of much more sacred reasons for the construction, as well as the very purpose of Castel del Monte. They hold the view that the followers of some secret teachings or societies hidden from the eyes of the uninitiated (to which Frederick II could belong) used the castle for their ritual or religious rites.
Of course, direct evidence of such a version cannot be found, but after visiting the castle, many tourists often point out the strange and unusual sensations that they experience when they first find themselves inside Castel del Monte. Perhaps people are impressed by the massiveness and imposingness of the structure or the antiquity of the castle and its centuries-old history, from which one must necessarily take one's breath away. But who knows, if some mysterious energy, which has not yet lost its strength and is still stored within the walls of Castel del Monte, makes itself felt?
Well, at the end of only a brief acquaintance with the most famous medieval castle in Italy, if we still digress from otherworldly forces, it is worth recalling that Castel del Monte soon after the death of Frederick II will serve as a prison for his grandchildren. Then, having lost its former significance and grandeur, after numerous looting, the castle will lose both its former splendor and its austere beauty. Over the centuries, the octagonal fortress, a monument to the power of the Hohenstaufen family, the hunting residence of the emperor, a cult-astronomical structure will become a refuge where the local nobility will seek salvation from plague epidemics that break out more than once throughout Europe and reach the southernmost regions of Italy.
Around the 17th century, the castle will suffer the unenviable fate of being abandoned and living out its last days in complete desolation. But, fortunately, after almost 200 years of slow and therefore imperceptible destruction, the abandoned castle will be remembered again. In 1876, following the unification of Italy into a single state, restoration work will begin in the Castel del Monte castle, and in 1996 the castle will become one of the historical sites protected by the UNESCO World Heritage Fund. (www.unesco.org/en/list/398)
And although today Castell del Monte has become a historical and tourist attraction, it still serves as a living reminder of the entire Hohenstaufen dynasty, which gave the world such great rulers as Conrad III, Frederick I Barbarossa and Henry VI.
