Top 10 Castles in Taranto

A suggestive panoramic point from which to admire the Aragonese Castle, the navigable canal and the Swing Bridge

The origins of the fortress of Taranto date back to Byzantine times. The current appearance of the complex dates back to Ferdinand of Aragon, who had the outdated castle converted into a modern fortress at the end of the 15th century. The fortifications were further reinforced by the Spanish in the 16th century. At the end of the 19th century, the Aragonese Castle passed to the Italian Navy, which still owns the complex today.

iconic place of taranto, the navigable canal, with the aragonese castle, the swing bridge and the monument to the sailor

The Castle of Massafra, located in the historic center of Massafra, is a medieval castle overlooking the Pizzo Ravine and San Marco. Its structure and architectural motifs are similar to other castles in Apulia, with four towers arranged in a wishbone and pattern and linked by boundary walls. The oldest towers are circular, while the keep is octagonal in the southeast. The first definite record of the castle dates back to the year 970. With the domination of the Angevins, the castle took on the appearance of a fortress, with crenellated ramparts and towers. It underwent further transformations under the Aragonese, and in the 18th century the Imperial family rebuilt the octagonal tower and the front facing towards the ravine, designed by the architect Mauro Manieri Lecce. The castle was in the possession of many owners before eventually being purchased by the city.

[I imagine towns as boxes, each containing different things, which no other boxes, not even the most magical ones, can contain.] Fabrizio Caramagna. A big, magic box is the definition that best describes the Marquis’s palace of Laterza. A reference point for the cultural life of the town, the Marquis’s palace is a XVII century building, which has been given a new lease of life in the past few years, with exhibitions, performances, concerts and many other cultural events. It is a box full of historical hints, legends and charm, a kind of a doorway to the historical center. The building was originally conceived as a castle in 1393, when the feud of Laterza was still part of the principality of Taranto. That time was characterized by bitter conflicts among different towns, and Laterza had to face the assaults by Castellaneta and Matera. In the centuries, the castle was destroyed and a palace took its place. Today, some remains of the original building are still visible: part of the moat, part of the walls with their battlements, which protected the northern side of the so called castrum de tertia (the original Latin name of the village) and, towards south, a tunnel which led to the ravine and allowed people to escape from the castle. In 1546 Giovanni Battista I D’Azzia became Marquis of Laterza and let the castle be refurbished as a late Renaissance residential building, as witnessed in the inscription of 1548, still visible in the white-stone, bipartite emblem, above the entrance. The east side of the building has been remodelled several times over the centuries, while the south side still preserves many Renaissance architectural features and a balcony, from where the marquis used to announce his decisions to the population. On the north side, the building features some windows with bars, which lightened the prison of the palace. Inside the courtyard, a precious fresco representing Saint Anne can still be admired. The fresco was commissioned by Anna Capece, wife of Nicolò Perez-Navarrete, last lord of Laterza until 2 August 1806. In 1986, the building was ceded to the municipality of Laterza, which has dealt with its restoration and touristic relaunch eversince. Today, the Tourist Information office, the MuMa (the Museum of Majolica) and a conference hall are indeed located in different rooms of the palace.

Well-maintained, historic complex. Free admission.

The historic center tells the story of the area, a story that has remained embedded in the architecture of the Castello de Falconibus, once surrounded by a moat and an outpost for soldiers.

Beautiful fortress in Taranto