Castle of Squillace (Ionica)
In the city of Squillace there are ruins of an ancient castle, the history of which began in the 9th century. It is believed that the original structure was a Byzantine castrum, built on the ruins of the Monastery of Catellense, built by Cassidorius. The Normans and Zevs, and then the Angevins and Aragonese, initially fought for this territory. From century to century, the Castle of Squillace was adapted to military needs, and it always carried out its defensive function. It cannot be said that the castle is built in one style, since it bears the imprint of different centuries. The main part of the work on the construction of the castle was carried out by the Normans, when in 1044 Ruggiero I d’Altavilla conquered Squillace and Latinized the local cults. Under Ruggiero I, many buildings were erected, including the Main Cathedral of the city. In 1783, a major earthquake occurred, as a result of which the castle was destroyed. Today, one of the walls that runs along the perimeter has been preserved, and the original contours of the castle are clearly visible, as well as the ruins of two towers, one of which was cylindrical. Zaoch Squillace rises above the city, and thanks to this position, it offers a magnificent view of the Ionian Sea and endless beaches.
Castle of Stilo (Ionica)
The Normans conquered Stilo in 1072. Due to its strategic location, Stilo was chosen as the site for the construction of a castle that served a defensive function. Stilo was under the complete control of the king and always maintained its leading and most important position under the Zwegs, the Angevins and the Aragonese. The castle passed from hand to hand among rulers. Initially, the castle was built in the Norman style, and today it can be clearly seen that the castle has remained virtually unchanged, and the dominance of the Norman style is clearly visible in its architecture. The castle was built in the 11th century at the request of Ruggiero II of Normandy, and served both as a defensive function and as a strategic stronghold in the Mediterranean. In 1540, the King of Spain, Charles V, was forced to sell the castle along with all state property (including the population of Stilo) to the Conclubet family. However, the inhabitants of Stilo managed to buy themselves off with money from their own pockets and gain their freedom.
The foundation of the castle is square, the castle was surrounded by towers of various shapes. Inside the castle, directly in the center of the building, there was a chapel, from which only some parts of the load-bearing walls remain today, the period of construction of which remains a mystery.
Spanish Castle in Crotone (Ionica)
The large and massive castle in Crotone is called the castle of Charles V, during whose reign the castle acquired its defensive functions, but initially the castle was built by the Byzantines on the site of the Greek acropolis as a fortress to protect the territory from foreign invaders. In the subsequent years of dominance by various rulers, the castle improved its defensive qualities. Today, before us is the castle – the work of the architect Gian Giacomo el Acaya, who, commissioned by Don Pietro of Toledo, built this structure, and during the reign of Charles V, the castle in Crotone was one of the most reliable and powerful defensive structures on the territory of the Apennine Peninsula. The entrance to the castle of Crotone is located on the current Piazza Castello. The main door. One of the towers of the castle now houses a museum, along the sea there is a portico of the castle. One of the towers of the castle – the Marchesana tower was equipped with 4 cannons and was an ideal place for observation and observation.
The Marchesana Tower was also a place of detention for those who were forced to take part in the construction and restoration work of the castle. The castle was significantly damaged in 1862 during the earthquake, it also housed the church of San Dionisia, the Chiesa Nuova, an artillery warehouse and military barracks. The castle now houses a museum.
Castle of Murat di Pizzo Calabro (Tyrrhenian Coast)
The construction of the castle in Pizzo Calabro is linked to the historical events of the Aragonese period in Calabria. The castle was built in the 15th century by order of King Ferdinand of Aragon, who came to Calabria to suppress the bloody rebellion of the barons organized against him by local feudal lords such as Carlo Sanseverino, Mileto and Pizzo. Ferdinand needed to consolidate his presence, and for this reason he built a new castle in Pizzo in 1487. The construction of the Pizzo Castle was completed in 1492, which to this day retains its original appearance, with two towers. The outside of the castle is decorated with a pattern of stone that visually separates the parts of the castle. The entrance to the castle is preceded by a drawbridge, and this is a reminder of Gioachino Murat, who was shot here in 1815.
The castle also owes its fame to the fact that Murat, one of Napoleon’s most loyal men, was initially imprisoned here and then shot. Murat succeeded in the impossible, he managed to conquer the Kingdom of Naples and his government introduced a number of useful amendments, both in administrative legislation and in the field of education. But after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, Murat was arrested by the army of Ferdinand IV of Bourbon and was imprisoned in Pizzo Castle, and a little later – shot here. It was in Pizzo Castle that Murat spent his last days.
Aragonese Castle in Reggio Calabria (Tyrrhenian Coast)
The so-called Aragonese Castle in Reggio Calabria is one of the symbols of the city. There is evidence that this castle already towered over the territory of Reggio Calabria in 1027, during the Norman period, but the period from 536 to 549 is considered to be the time of its construction. The castle was built by the Byzantines, and under the Normans it was restored and rebuilt to suit the needs of local rulers. The castle also changed hands: from the Normans to the Angevins, and eventually passed to the Aragonese. Much is said about the long-term changes in the architecture of the castle under Robert of Anjou. Then the work was carried out from 1327 to 1381, and they were aimed at strengthening the castle and making it inaccessible to catapults and other weapons. The castle acquired obvious defensive functions. However, the most radical and fundamental changes were made by Ferdinando I of Aragon. The work was carried out by the famous architect Baccio Pontelli, who completed two cylindrical supporting towers, a defensive moat, a ravelin and an aqueduct.
The fortification work was completed between 1540 and 1553 by the Spanish Don Pedro of Toledo, on the orders of Charles V, who feared the power of the Turks.
Under the Bourbons, the castle began to lose its importance, and the castle suffered the same fate as many others: it became a place of confinement. However, it should be noted that the structure of the castle has remained virtually untouched since then and is remarkably well preserved to this day.
Norman castle in Vibo Valentina (Tyrrhenian coast)
The castle is located on the top of a hill where the ancient acropolis of Hipponion once stood. The castle is shaped like a ship and dominates the city of Vibo Valentina and the Mesima Valley. The castle was built between 100 and 1074 by order of Ruggero the Norman. Initially, the castle was conceived as a simple fortress, which was to consist of a single triangular tower in the center, surrounded by round towers. The material for the construction was taken from the acropolis located here. The castle was partially rebuilt during the Zvevian era, and the castle became a full-fledged architectural complex only under Matteo Macrofaba, by order of Federico II. The next changes to the architecture of the castle were brought by the Angevins. Since 1277, a military garrison has been located here. The castle loses its military purpose in 1501, when it becomes the residence of a famous representative of the Pignatelli family, at the same time Vibo Valentina loses its importance as a city.
The feudal lords acquired from the Spaniards the privilege to freely change this territory depending on their needs. During almost 3 centuries of domination of the Pignatelli family, the southern entrance was changed, a western entrance was built, on which the family coat of arms, made of marble, was placed. The castle was significantly damaged by the earthquake of 1659, and due to various natural disasters, by the beginning of the 19th century only the towers remained of the castle. After the period of domination of the Pignatelli family, the castle acquired a new purpose: it became a place of imprisonment for criminals. Today, the castle houses the state archaeological museum.
Le Castella Fortress
This stunning fortress is located on a small island in the magnificent azure sea. The fortress of Le Castella was supposed to be a whole city, surrounded on all sides by a stone wall. The latest archaeological excavations have revealed an amazing secret of the fortress: the territory on which it is located is directly related to the Hellenistic era, since at that time it most likely represented a longer strip of land along the sea. The fortress was never the residence of the local nobility, but served as a stronghold and a stopping place for warriors engaged in battles initially with the Saracens, and then with the Turks. The cylindrical tower, which is located directly inside the fortress, was built under the Angevins, and evidence of this is the plan of the fortress, dating back to the 13th century.
The main feature of the central tower of the fortress is a magnificent spiral staircase made of stone, which connects three floors. By the end of the 15th century, the fortress of Le Castella passed to the Aragonese rulers. In 1496, Federico of Aragon gave it to Andrea Carafa, who between 1510 and 1526 created the supporting structures of the fortress. Archaeological excavations carried out inside the fortress have proven that there are several historical layers. The eastern wing of the fortress has a 40 m long wall made of limestone blocks.
The Le Castella fortress is located in one of the most picturesque places in Calabria, and tourists from all over Italy come here to see this miracle of nature and architecture, preserved to this day.
It will also be interesting to visit the castles:
Tyrrhenian coast: Norman tower in Cosenza, Aragonese Castle in Belvedere Marittimo, Aragonese Castle in Castrovillari, Aragonese Castle in Reggio Calabria,
Ionian coast: Norman Castle in Gerace, Norman Castle in Santa Severina.