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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.
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
- http://www.comune.napoli.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/EN/IDPagina/1372
- Address: Via Vittorio Emanuele III
- Hours: 0830-1900, Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday.
- Admission: 06.00€
Castel dell’Ovo
- https://www.castel-dell-ovo.com/
- Address: Via Eldorado, 3, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy
- Hours: 0900-1830, Monday through Saturday. 0900-1400, Sunday
- Admission: free
Castel Sant’Elmo
- http://www.polomusealecampania.beniculturali.it/index.php/il-castello
- Address: Via Tito Angelini, 22 – 80129 Naples
- Hours: 0830-1930, daily
- Admission: Full price, 5.00€, Reduced, 2.50€, Tuesday, 2.50€
Setting out on the highway, we first passed Stirling Castle and the William Wallace Monument standing tall on the nearby summit of Abbey Craig. On the right, our tour guide pointed out the Kelpies, 30-meter high horse-head sculptures near the River Carron.
Onward we traveled to the next destination, Inveraray, home of a beautiful castle on the shores of Loch Fyne. Although the tour brochure stated that we would visit the town of Inveraray for Highland souvenirs, we only stopped near a bridge so that we could photograph Inveraray Castle.
Although the castle’s origins as a residence date back to the 12th century, with the reign of David I, Edinburgh Castle only retained a residential role until the 15th century, later transitioning into military barracks and garrison. It was considered one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland and was involved in many historical conflicts. Recent research identified 26 sieges in the castle’s 1100 year old history.
The castle offers many different buildings, museums and vantage points. We began our exploration by climbing the Lang Stairs to the Argyle Tower. Not much to see within the tower, we moved on to Mon’s Meg, the Dog Cemetery and St. Margaret’s Cathedral.
Adjacent to the cemetery overlook is Mon’s Meg, a medieval bombard and one of the largest cannons in the world (by caliber). This cannon was built in 1449 as a gift to James II, King of Scots from Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. It was used in many sieges until the 16th century and spent some time in the Tower of London until it was returned in 1829.
Moving into St. Margaret’s Chapel, we found it blissfully empty. With a surface area of only 160 square feet, it was nice not having to jockey for position with other tourists to capture nice photos and enjoy the beauty of the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. The 12th century chapel, was spared the wrath of Robert the Bruce when the castle was captured on March 14, 1314 and all buildings in the castle were destroyed. The chapel, restored and now cared for by the St. Margaret’s Chapel Guild is well worth a short visit, especially for the five stained glass windows of St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Andrew, St. Columbia, St. Ninian and William Wallace, all designed by Douglas Strachan in 1922.
To the Great Hall’s south, is the Scottish National War Memorial, which occupies a converted barrack block and stands on the site of the Medieval St. Mary’s Church. When entering the building, pay note to the gargoyles and sculpture that decorate the exterior. The interior is a long massive space, with a high vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows (designed by Douglas Strachan) and monuments commemorating Scottish soldiers; those who served with the Scottish regiments and those who died in the two world wars and in recent conflicts. On an altar within the Shrine (placed on the highest point of the Castle Rock) rests a sealed casket containing Rolls of Honour which list over 147,000 names of those soldiers killed in the First World War. Another 50,000 names were inscribed on Rolls of Honour and line the walls of the main hall. No pictures are allowed within the building.
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum features a large offering of weapons, uniforms, medals and paintings which portray the story of the past regiments that formed or were associated with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, including 3rd Dragoons Guards (Prince of Wale’s Own), 6th Dragoon Guards (The Carabiniers), 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wale’s Dragoon Guards), the Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) and 25th Dragoons.
After leaving these two museums, we walked past the Governor’s House and turned left to the entrance of National War Museum. The story of Scotland at war is told here along with the story of the battles that were lost and won. Many military artifacts and personal treasures are on display. Again, this museum is free with your entrance ticket to the castle and is worth a look around. By this point in the day, however, we were getting a bit tired of the museum setting and hungry, so we made it a quick visit.
