The Octagon

Frederick II's passion for the Apulian territory is manifested in the location choices for his castles. In addition to military defense and territorial government functions, residential and symbolic representation were taken into account: from every detail the majestic awareness of someone holding leadership over the western world is apparent.

Located 540 meters above sea level, Castel del Monte enjoyed a privileged point of view over the surrounding area and was in communication with the Via Traiana and the road that connected Andria to Gravina.

The number eight repeats throughout the entire structure of the castle, which has an octagonal plan: there are eight rooms on the ground floor and on the upper floor, eight octagonal towers and the internal courtyard also has an octagonal shape. The octagon, also used for the marvelous crown which probably enriched the imperial treasury since the 10th century, symbolizes the fusion of celestial and earthly power, the meeting between God and man, the first represented by the divine perfection of the circle, the latter by the sturdy geometry of the square, here fused into a single geometric shape.