Castle of Barletta, Hohenstaufen castle in Barletta, Italy
The Castle of Barletta is a Hohenstaufen fortress in the town of Barletta in Apulia, built over several centuries from the eleventh to the seventeenth. The structure features four corner towers, a deep moat, and massive defensive walls that enclose the building and give it its characteristic shape.
The Norman structure was built in the eleventh century and transformed by Frederick II in the thirteenth century into a residential palace representing imperial power. Further extensions and modifications took place in the following centuries, giving the fortress its present appearance.
The rooms inside the fortress now house the municipal museum and city library, while archaeological finds from the region are displayed across several halls. Visitors can view the Apostles Sarcophagus from the third century, one of the oldest Christian artworks in this area and a witness to the early religious history of the town.
The site lies near the harbor and is reached via a bridge over the old moat, while the gardens around the building are open to the public. Signage on site provides information about the different areas and helps visitors orient themselves inside the fortress.
In 1964 Pier Paolo Pasolini filmed scenes from his movie The Gospel According to Matthew inside the rooms and courtyards of the fortress. The massive stone walls and medieval arches offered a fitting backdrop for the director's biblical episodes.
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