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Revision as of 11:27, 27 June 2011 by Δ (talk | contribs) (All non-free files used on this page must have a valid and specific rationale for use on this page; please see Misplaced Pages:Non-free use rationale guideline for more information; one or more files removed due to missing rationale FAQ)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other uses, see Castel del Monte (disambiguation).| Castel del Monte | |
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 Castel del Monte | |
  Castel del Monte | |
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| Built | 1240–1250 |
Castel del Monte (Template:Lang-it) is a 13th-century castle situated in Andria in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It was built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II some time between 1240 and 1250; it has been despoiled of its interior marbles and furnishings in subsequent centuries. It has neither a moat nor a drawbridge and might in fact never have been intended as a defensive fortress. Today, the site is protected as a World Heritage Site.
Location
Castel del Monte is situated on a small hill close to the monastery of Santa Maria del Monte, at an altitude of 1,800 feet (550 m). When the castle was built, the region was famously fertile with a plentiful supply of water and lush vegetation. It lies in the comune of Andria, occupying the site of an earlier fortress of which no structural remains exist.
It was never finished and was used primarily as a hunting lodge by Frederick until his death in 1250. It was later turned into a prison, used as a refuge during a plague, and finally fell into disrepair. It originally had marble walls and columns, but all were stripped by vandals.
Description
Frederick was responsible for the construction of many castles in Apulia, but Castel del Monte's geometric design was unique. The fortress is an octagonal prism with an octagonal tower at each corner. Both floors have eight rooms and an eight-sided courtyard occupies the castle's centre. Each of the main rooms have vaulted ceilings. Three of the corner towers contain staircases. The castle has two entrances, an unobtrusive service entrance and an ornate main entrance. Frederick's main entrance featured elements from classical design, and may have been influenced by Frederick's interest in Greco-Roman architecture.
The octagonal plan is unusual in castle design. Historians have debated the purpose of the building and it has been suggested that it was intended as a hunting lodge. Another theory is that the octagon is an intermediate symbol between a square (representing the earth) and a circle (representing the sky). Frederick II may have been inspired to build to this shape by either the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, which he had seen while on Crusade, or by the Palace Chapel of Aachen Cathedral.
The main wall is 25 m high and the eight bastions each 26 m. The sides of the main octagon are 16.5 m long and those of the octagonal towers each 3.1 m. The castle has a diameter of 56 m. Its main entrance faces east.
Modern era
In the 18th century, the castle's ornamentation was looted. Members of the House of Bourbon took the marble columns and window frames and reused them at their palace in Caserta. After having been abandoned for a considerable length of time, the castle was purchased in 1876 for the sum of 25,000 lire by the Italian government, which began the process of restoration in 1928.
Central to the plot of Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose is an old fortress known as the 'Aedificium'. This was almost certainly inspired by Castel del Monte.
Castel del Monte was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, who described it as "a unique masterpiece of medieval military architecture".
Castel del Monte is depicted on the reverse of the Italian-issue 1 Euro cent coin.
Panorama of the interior of Castel del Monte's courtyard
Castel del Monte DOC
Around the castle, Andria is the Italian DOC wine region of Castel del Monte that produces red, white and rose wines. Most of the wines are blends but varietal wines can be produced as long as at least 90% of the wine is composed of the same grape. The reds are usually a blend of 65-100% Uva di Troia, up to 35% of Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Pinot noir and Aglianico. The roses include 65-100% Uva di Troia and/or Bombino Nero with the other red grape varieties filling out the rest. The whites are composed mainly of Pampanuto (65-100%) with other local white grape varieties filling out the rest. Red and rose grapes are limited to a harvest yield of 14 tonnes/ha and must make a wine with a minimum of 12% alcohol level (11% in the case of rose). White wine grapes are limited to a harvest yield of 15 tonnes/ha and must make a wine with a minimum alcohol of 11%. If the wine is to be labeled a Riserva, the wine must be aged at least 2 years with one of those years in oak/wood and must have a minimum alcohol level of 12.5%.
References
- ^ Castex 2008, p. 21
- Castex 2008, p. 20
- Tuulse 2002, pp. 60–61
- Castex 2008, p. 22
- Haft & White 1999, p. 154
- Castel del Monte, in-italia.com
- World Heritage Committee, Report of the 20th Session, Merida 1996
- P. Saunders Wine Label Language pg 135 Firefly Books 2004 ISBN 1552977200
Sources
- Castex, Jean (2008), Architecture of Italy, ABC-CLIO, ISBN 9780313320866
- Haft, Adele J.; White, Robert J. (1999), The Key to "The Name of the Rose", University of Michigan Press, ISBN 0472086219
- Tuulse, Armin (2002) , Castles of the Western World, Dover Publications, pp. 60–61, ISBN 0486423328
Further reading
- Conant, K. J. (1974), Carolingian and Romanesque Architecture 800–1200, Yale University Press, ISBN 78-0300052985
{{citation}}: Check|isbn=value: length (help) - Götze, Heinz (1998), Castel del Monte: geometric marvel of the Middle Ages, Prestel Publishing, ISBN 9783791319308
External links
Media related to Castel del Monte at Wikimedia Commons
- Paradoxplace Castel del Monte Photo Gallery
- Tourist Information in English about Castel del Monte
- Photogallery of Castel del Monte