The Castle of Frederick II
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The castle was wanted by Frederick 11 to reinforce his imperial power and give a sense of security to the region. The building was one of the most imposing and important in the whole of Puglia and was constructed at two different time, during the Sveva age, between 1230 and 1250, after portion of the previous Byzantine fortification was destroyed by “Guglielmo il Malo”.Then in the 15th century, with the agreement of moving the court of Aragon to city.
The large moat and the present Lancelot bastions, typical of 16th century engineering, are part of the additions made in the second phase of the building of the castle.
While ,evidence from mediaeval times can be noted on the north side, with mullioned windows with two gothic cut lights and predominantly from the interior. The whole structure is dominated by trapezoidal keep, originally surrounded by four sided towers. In the interior one can admire the semaphore tower, which at one time housed the navy.
From the outside , one will note the defensive bastions which face towards the city which have their origins in the renaissance and were ordered by Isabella of Aragon and by her daughter Bona Sforza.
During the Bourbon period, the castle was used as a prison , while today it hosts Headquarters for the Environment, Architecture, Art and History for the region of Puglia and the Gipsoteca, with the tools of the most illustrious sculptors of Puglia from the 11th and the 17th centuries.
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