Castello di Caprarica, Medieval castle in Tricase, Italy

Castello di Caprarica is a rectangular fortress in Tricase with round towers at each corner rising to roughly seven meters in height. The entrance benefits from triple machicolation defense, and inside are ground floor rooms, upper chambers, storage spaces, cellars, an interior garden, and water collection systems.

The fortress was probably built as a consequence of the danger that followed the Turkish sack of Otranto in 1480 and the raids that came after it. An inscription once read on one of the turrets, now lost and recorded by the Salento scholar Cosimo De Giorgi, named the patron and the year: "CASTELLO FACTO PER MASTRO ANTONIO RENNE DE TRICASE A(nno) 1524". At the end of the 19th century the castle was used as a farm.

Inside, a chapel honoring Saint John the Baptist once contained frescoes and carved stone corbels that visitors could see until the early 1900s. This sacred space shows how faith shaped daily life for those who lived within the walls.

Visitors should expect uneven ground and stone passages since the old fortress keeps its original structure. Sturdy shoes are advisable, and it helps to allow time for exploring the different levels and chambers.

The walls are built of irregular blocks of brown carparo limestone, 1.40 metres thick and 6 to 7 metres high, with a sturdy toro marcapiano. Small corbels support the upper cornice, and the corners are reinforced by circular towers with a battered base. The severe portal is defended by a triple machicolation.