History of the Castle

Castel del Monte, standing 540 meters above sea level, dominates the western Murge plateau. Among Frederick II of Swabia’s castles, it is the most famous and the most evocative. Its bulk is such that sailors used it as a reference point to maintain their orientation at sea. In 1240, the emperor himself urged its construction and, over the centuries, its functions shifted from representing imperial power to military and prison purposes. Plundered and vandalized, today it retains only faint traces of its original splendor. Refined chimneys in red porphyry, seats in white marble, sculptures, fountains, marble coverings, mosaics on the vaults and floors used to make the castle's environments truly unique. Purchased by the Italian State in 1876, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1996.