Tag: architecte

The City of the Seven Castles

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In ancient times, Naples was called the “city of the seven castles” as it was the only city in the world that boasted seven castles within its boundaries. These castles, Castel dell’Ovo, Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino), Castel Sant’Elmo, Castel Capuano, Castello del Carmine, Castello di Nisida and Forte di Vigliena, provided a powerful defense to the Gulf of Naples from attacks by sea.

Three of these castles are located along the coastline in the touristic areas of Naples, near the Piazza del Plebiscito, making it an easy task to visit them in a single day.

Since the Castel Nuovo was located near our hotel (and made for an awesome view from our hotel window!) so we opted to begin our exploration there.

Castel Nuovo’s construction was initiated in 1279 by Carlo I D’Angio during the beginning of Naples’ reign as capital of the region. The modern fortress today appears much as it did upon its inception and was originally called Maschio Angioino. The castel acted as the royal residence and became a center of culture giving hospitality to artists, doctors, scholars and authors. When Alfonso I, of the Aragonese, succeeded the Anjevins, he continued to use the castle as a royal residence but ordered renovations, including the Triumphal Arch, celebrating his victorious entry into the city of Naples.

Upon entering, it was quite impressive to pass through this Triumphal Arch and admire the detailed craftsmanship of both it and the Bronze Gates, ordered by Ferdinand I of Aragon. Entering into the vast courtyard, we admired the high interior walls and proceeded to follow the self-guided tour.

We made our way through the Hall of the Barons, originally the throne room and location where the barons conspired against Ferrante I d’Aragona in 1487, the Palatine Chapel, dedicated to the Assunzione della Vergine and then the Chapel of the “Anime Purganti”, or Purgatory Chapel, which dates back to the 16th century. This small chapel is richly decorated but protected by a glass wall, which limited our proximity to the priceless artwork.

Hall of the Barons
Palatine Chapel
Palatine Chapel
Palatine Chapel
Purgatory Chapel

Climbing the stone stairs, we found ourselves at the scenic balcony giving us a beautiful view of the marina and the nearby buildings. The upper floors house exhibitions and cultural events, part of the Municipal Museum of Naples, which also has displays on several floors, including sculptures, paintings and objects from the medieval period to the 19th century. The first floor’s exhibits included works from photographers Fabio Donato and Luciano Ferrara. Most intriguing, however, was the glass floor displaying human remains that were excavated and preserved.

Though we were not able to visit the basement (only possible with a guide), a story I overheard from a tour guide detailed a “crocodile pit”. It was found that occasionally prisoners would disappear and were believed to have been snatched by a crocodile who would grab their leg and drag them out to sea. Speculation was that Queen Giovanna brought the creature to Naples from Egypt on the occasion of her wedding with Giacomo of Bourbon.

Walking along the coastline, passing the Fontana del Gigante (Fountain of the Giants), we made our way to the second fortress, Castel della’Ovo which stands on the islet of Megaride, lending to its untouchable, yet fairy-tale perception. No wonder many brides and grooms decide to take their wedding photos here!

The Castel’s name, truly unique, is one of Neapolitan legends. The castle was named for the egg that Latin poet Virgil apparently hid in a cage in the dungeons of the castle. This egg was kept hidden because the “fortune of the Sea Castle depended on it”.

As we walked along the causeway towards the castle, we noted the marina and the restaurants around the eastern wall, part of the small fishing village, Borgo Marinaro, established in the 19th century.

The castle sits on the site of a previous structure, built by the Normans in the 12th century. After Charles I of Anjou built the new castle and moved his court there, it became the seat of the Royal Chamber and of the State Treasury. Castel dell’Ovo also served as a prison, housing Empress Constance of the Holy Roman Empire (1191, later Queen of Sicily), King Conradin before his trial and execution in 1268 and Queen Joanna I of Naples before here assassination in 1381.

Inside the castle, there are several buildings used for exhibitions and other special events. Aside from a few statues and cannons, the castle’s main features are those that are architectural, however, there are some beautiful views of the city and coast to be had from the upper level.

Moving on, we headed through the Piazza del Plebiscito to the Augusteo subway station. Knowing it would be a difficult task to make it up the immense hill to Castel Sant’Elmo, we boarded the subway/funicular towards Piazza Fuga and then walked the remaining distance.

Dating back to 1275, this castle, which sits high above the city, was originally a church dedicated to St. Erasmus and was transformed into a royal residence. An earthquake, in 1456, caused the collapse of the towers and some of the walls. After interventions by the Aragonese, the castle was transformed into a defensive fortress. Almost a century later, construction commenced which committed the castle to its current configuration, a star-shaped fortress.

The castle, which sits high on a hill above the city, was used as a troop’s garrison, a military prison until the 1950’s and it now houses the Museo del Novecento, dedicated to 20th century Neapolitan art.

This castle was extremely interesting as it fits the image of what you would expect a castle to be, with its drawbridge and dark, interior passages. It is when you reach the upper level, while walking along the ramparts that you discover what makes it so special…the outstanding views of the city and the bay islands.

After admiring the impressive clock tower, we ventured into the Museum for a quick look where we discovered some impressive and sometimes strange pieces. Exiting the rear doors of the museum, the church was directly across the walkway and we stepped in to have a quick look at its simple interior.

Looking out once again at the city from our bird’s eye view, it was now easy to comprehend what a vast city Naples is. Spread out before us, we realized that there was so much we had not had time to see and the afternoon was drawing to a close. Spying a church’s facade next door, we decided that if we were going to see more, it had better close by.

Heading down through the castle, we made our way to the exterior, stopping on the drawbridge, to once again, admire the coat of arms of Charles V with the double-headed eagle at the entrance portal. The clear, blue sky made for a beautiful view as we walked away, through the gates and we marveled at how much history was to be found in Naples.

Only having had the time to discover three of Naples seven castles, we realized that we would have to make time on another trip to see the other four.

Three out of seven wasn’t too bad…right?

 Especially because these three were pretty spectacular!

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Castel Nuovo

Castel dell’Ovo

Castel Sant’Elmo