Castello di Melendugno, building in Melendugno, Italy

Castello di Melendugno, also called Palazzo baronale D'Amely, is a fortification in the center of town with an unusual star-shaped layout rarely seen in the Puglia region. The structure rises about 40 feet (12 meters) high with walls nearly 15 feet (4.5 meters) thick and was originally surrounded by a moat, parts of which remain visible today.

The tower was built in the second half of the 16th century to a design by military engineer Gian Giacomo dell'Acaya, commissioned by Pompeo Paladini, seventh baron of Melendugno and Lizzanello. Its star-shaped plan has only three parallels in all of Puglia. The resemblance to Castel Sant'Elmo in Naples and to the "pinza" bastions of Malta may stem from these areas falling under the Habsburg crown; the castle was built on the eve of Charles V's reign.

The D'Amely barons replaced the original drawbridge with a masonry bridge closed by a 16th-century portal. Above the entrance, two lions lying back to back support a crenellated tower, and a statue of the Immaculate Madonna stands above the coat of arms. A small bell gable on the facade recalls the ground-floor chapel, which still has frescoes of the Crucified Christ and a Madonna and Child.

The castle sits on Via G. D'Amely in the town center and is viewable from outside, with the main facade featuring the coat of arms and a statue of the Virgin Mary clearly visible. Interior access is not always available, but the outer walls, former moat, and architectural details can be examined from the surrounding area.

The tower's star-shaped plan has only three parallels in all of Puglia, and its profile recalls Castel Sant'Elmo in Naples and the "pinza" bastions of Malta. The resemblance may stem from these areas falling under the Habsburg crown, since the castle was built on the eve of Charles V's reign.