Castello Ducale, Medieval fortress in Ceglie Messapica, Italy.

Castello Ducale rises on the highest point of Ceglie Messapica's hill. A wide round-arched portal and a pointed-vault entrance lead into an irregular courtyard surrounded by the castle's wings. On the left stands the Norman tower, the original core from around 1100, built with double limestone walls and a rubble infill; beside it the 34-metre square tower, topped with symmetrical merlons, has three floors, a well and underground cisterns.

The Norman tower was constructed between 1070 and 1100, forming the fortress's original core. Later expansions during Swabian and Angevin periods added three round towers that strengthened the overall fortification.

The castle now houses the Emilio Notte Art Gallery and Pietro Gatti Library, serving as a space where local art and literature are displayed. These institutions show how the medieval structure functions as a gathering place for creative expression and learning.

Only two wings of the castle are open to visitors: since May 2016 they house the Emilio Notte Art Gallery and the Pietro Gatti Library. The central Norman and square towers, the best-preserved private wing and the Ducal Garden are closed, the towers awaiting PNRR-funded restoration. Access to the courtyard is through a wide round-arched portal and a pointed-vault entrance.

In summer 2023, an 18th-century fresco of Saint Eligius resurfaced in ground-floor rooms long closed and reached from the entrance hall. The saint is the patron of farriers and metalworkers, a fitting figure for a castle whose name echoes the iron-working tradition of Ceglie.