Built by Frederick II Hohenstaufen in 1224 on a project by the Florentine architect Fuccio, this castle is evidence of the admiration that the emperor had for Apulia and particularly for Gravina, that he defined ‘Garden of delights’. The well-known painter and mannerist architect Giorgio Vasari defined the castle as ‘a park surrounded by walls for fowling’, hence a place where the emperor went to relax and hunt. The castle, with its rectangular structure and measuring 58 per 30 meters, was erected on the foundation of an Arabic model of building on a hill, 450 meters above sea level and protected by walls. Today the original tapes are nowhere to be found.

It was completely built in mazzaro tuff, contained 4 towers, and was composed of two floors, plus a mezzanine floor, accessible via the main staircase. The upstairs were dedicated to the court and the downstairs to stables, kitchens, storage rooms, and dinette. The basement preserves the solid system on which is placed the body of the castle. The access was possible via a front door fortified with a portal in carved stone. It allowed the entry into the courtyard, half covered and surrounded by a porch, where there were the doors that took to the downstairs rooms. At the bottom of this courtyard, a royal staircase was placed, which led to the mezzanine floor where there were servants and falconry. On the upper floor, there were the emperor and the curia. It was enlightened by big rectangular windows with round arches.

Some documents tell that he stayed in the castle multiple times: the last one was in 1241. Afterward, the castle became property of Duke Orsini and it was his residence until the construction of the new palace in the inner city. In 1806 the castle was bought by Pomarici-Santomasi barons and finally became property of the city in 1917, after the gift made by Ettore Pomarici.

This place is not included in any route.

There are no events available.