Castle of Castel del Monte (Apulia, Italy) - history, excursions, expositions. Exact address, phone number, cost of entrance tickets. Local legends and ghosts.
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| Castel del Monte Apulia Italy |
The castle of Castel del Monte is called the "Crown of Apulia" and is considered one of the most mysterious buildings not only in Italy, but throughout Europe. Within these walls 8 centuries ago, amazing, mystical and, possibly, terrible things happened, about which much is still unknown.
Castel del Monte (or castle on the mountain) is located in Italy, in the Puglia region. Its construction was started by order of Frederick II, presumably in 1240. It is interesting that just a year before this, the financial condition of Spain was so deplorable that Frederick II stopped the construction of several military fortresses. But not Castel del Monte.
A bit of history
The history of the castle has a lot of mysteries and unknowns - and even has its own mystical number. The structure and pool are octagonal, 8 towers at the edges, 8 halls on the lower floor and 8 on the upper. In the details of architecture, you can find the number 8 countless times: in the leaves on the columns, in the pattern on the vaults. By the way, the magic of number 8 also spread to the owner of the castle, Frederick II, however, after his death. When the tomb of the king, who died in 1250 (add the numbers), was opened for the restoration of the cathedral in Palermo, on his hand was found a mysterious ring with an emerald surrounded by gold petals, of which there were... of course, 8.
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| Castel del Monte Apulia Italy |
What to watch
From afar, the Nagorny Castle looks round, but if you come closer, its unusual shape becomes visible. Castel del Monte is built in the form of a regular octagon with towers at the corners. In the courtyard there was a pool of the same shape, cut from a single piece of stone - the symbol of the Holy Grail.
Castel del Monte stands alone on a secluded hill, rising to the roof, you can enjoy the panoramic sea views from the stone terrace.
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| Castel del Monte Apulia Italy |
It is still not known for sure why this castle was built. Of course, there is an official version - Frederick II, who was fond of falconry, wanted to use it as a hunting lodge, but it is surprising that in Castel del Monte there are no rooms for servants, a separate kitchen, or a stable. In short, everything that should definitely be in a royal hunting residence.
But in the castle there are many fireplaces, too small in size for cooking on them, but suitable for alchemical experiments. Spiral staircases, twisted not to the right, as required by the tradition of that time, but to the left. Connecting doors that allow almost the entire castle to pass unnoticed, passing from one room to another. There is also a legend about a secret tunnel, almost 18 km long, leading to the Ducale di Andria castle.
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| Castel del Monte Apulia Italy |
Practical information
Address: Apulia, Auto Strada Statale, 170 Dir. Website.
You can get there by bus number 6 from Andria (only in the summer season from May to September) or by private car - there is a parking lot near the castle.
Opening hours: from October 1 to March 31 - from 9:00 to 18:30 (ticket sales until 18:00), from April 1 to September 30 - from 10:15 to 19:45 (ticket sales until 19:15)... The castle is closed from December 25 to January 2. Opening hours for other holidays will appear on the website.