Castello di San Nicola de Thoro-Plano, Medieval castle in Maiori, Italy

Castello di San Nicola de Thoro-Plano is a 9th-century fortress on the Thoro-plano height of the Lattari Mountains above Maiori. Its 550-metre polygonal perimeter, rebuilt from 1465, has loopholes, buttresses and nine towers. The complex incorporates the former church of San Nicola and a small museum of local manufactures found on the site.

The settlement began in the middle of the 9th century when people sought refuge in this hilltop location. Over time it was reinforced and enlarged, gradually becoming the fortified structure visible today.

The church of Saint Nicholas sits at the heart of the complex, showing how spiritual and military functions merged during medieval times. Visitors can still explore the chapel's interior today and understand the architecture that was typical for that era.

The castle stands on the Thoro-plano height above the Arcola and Carpineto districts of Maiori, reached on foot along hillside paths, so sturdy shoes help. The perimeter walls run about 550 metres and are interrupted by nine towers. A small museum inside displays old local manufactures, most of them found in the castle area itself.

The 1465–1468 expansion by the Piccolomini, vassals of King Ferrante of Naples, cost Maiori 6,000 ducats. Within the walls they added a barracks, towers, warehouses and a drinking-water cistern. The Ravello chronicler Michelangelo Gizzio described the result as a strongly enclosed castle at the highest point of Maiori.