Conversano Castle, Norman castle in Conversano, Italy

Conversano Castle is a trapezoidal Norman-origin castle on the highest point of Conversano, in Puglia, Italy. Its oldest parts are three massive square towers from the 11th–12th centuries, including the Norman Torre Maestra, which stands on megalithic walls. A cylindrical tower with the Del Balzo-Orsini-Acquaviva coat of arms was added in the first half of the 15th century, and a twelve-sided bastion with gun ports dates to the late 1490s.

The fortress was built by the Normans in the 11th century as a defensive structure and remained a military stronghold for several centuries. The Acquaviva family took over in the 15th century and transformed it into a noble residence, adding new sections to the original structure.

The castle's civic art gallery holds the Jerusalem Delivered cycle, large canvases painted by the Neapolitan artist Paolo Domenico Finoglio between 1642 and 1645. Count Giangirolamo II Acquaviva commissioned them to exalt the power and prestige of his house. Some wings, including a bridal chamber decorated with Old Testament scenes by Finoglio, remain private.

The castle sits in the center of Conversano and is easy to reach on foot from the old town. Inside, the visit involves climbing stairs and moving between different levels, so comfortable shoes are a good idea.

The polygonal tower has a shape that some compare to a shoe, with outward-leaning walls designed to deflect cannonballs rather than absorb their impact. This allowed defenders to fire from several angles at once, something that straight walls would not have made possible.