Telamon Tower

The Telamon tower of Castel del Monte, which connects the last room on the ground floor with the upper floor via a spiral staircase, is so called because of the sculptures of six naked men in the act of supporting the umbrella-shaped vault.

The vault is divided into six segments by ribs that intersect in the center, where a decoration with a stylized vegetal motif stands out: the keystone. The ribs end on corbels in the shape of Telamons, contracted in the physical effort of supporting the entire weight of the vault on their shoulders. Each Telamon, sometimes also referred to as an "Atlas", is distinguished by the strong expressiveness of the face and posture, by the powerful muscles: some have their hands supported on their knees or on the wall behind them, others have their hands raised on the frame of the shelf and still others have their hands on either side of their mouths. Three of them look frontally, while the others look to the right, granting circularity to the ensemble. The placement of the Telamones in the dimly-lit vault makes their presence even more evocative.