Castel Del Monte, The Crown Of Apulia, Italy

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We're still about 20 km away when we suddenly see it: the Castel del Monte, literally: the castle on the mountain. Mountain? It depends on where you come from, it‘s really only a hill, 540 m (1772 ft) high. But as most of Apulia is a plain, every mound is called a mountain. The slopes are bare, only some trees stand at the foot of the castle. Learned people have argued if the mountain had trees on it when the castle was built or not. The leading opinion today is that it has always been bare. Is that so important? Yes, because the bare mountain emphasizes the function the castle must have had. It was built to be seen! For the Emperor Frederic II it was a representative stately building, the most impressive among the 50 castles or so which were erected in Apulia during his reign (1194-1250). Frederic II was the most powerful member of the Staufer dynasty or Hohenstaufen (both terms are used in English). The origin of this dynasty lies in Germany. Frederic II was born in Germany, but lived his whole adult life in Italy. He was the most learned ruler of his time. He knew Arabic as well as Latin, went on a crusade, founded the university of Naples. He wrote a book about falcons and falconry which still today, 800 years later, is considered the ultimate word on the subject. As the castle lacks all characteristics of a fortress, it is supposed to have been a hunting lodge and the Emperor (it’s not proven that he actually stayed there, but let’s assume that he did), did there what emperors used to do in the 13th century: hunting with trained leopards and falcons. Frederic II was also a wise and clever statesman. Again and again he had problems with the Saracens from North Africa. So, after a decisive battle, he made 20.000 Saracens settle in Apulia to have them under his direct control. Even today one can see the Saracen ancestors in many Apulian faces. The castle was constructed around 1240. It combines Muslim and Gothic elements. It’s a perfect octagon, with an octagonal open inner courtyard and octagonal towers on each corner. The towers and the walls are 25 m high and are made of grey granite. The number 8 keeps cropping up throughout the building down to the floor tiles. A scientist put it that way, “The form is so purely mathematical as to be beautiful.” The castle is also a gigantic calendar and sundial. If a pole were put in the middle of the courtyard, its shadow would outline precise sections of the building whenever the sun entered the successive star-sign zones. Esoterically minded people might be intrigued by the idea that the castle lies on an imaginary axis between Jerusalem and Chartres in France. I’ve been in the castle and have tried to imagine what it was like when people lived there. It must have been a good life! The building offered extreme luxury for the Middle Ages: a heating system with chimneys (the winters can be cold there), toilets and washrooms for which water was stored in cisterns. But I won’t enter the building any more. I’ve seen what I wanted to. For me the castle is more impressive from the outside. No, it’s overwhelming! I’d like to sit in a field with a bottle of Apulian red wine beside me and just LOOK! Yes, the Castel del Monte is the crown of Apulia.