Castel del Monte is one of the most enigmatic structures in Italy. It stands about sixty kilometres from Bari, in the municipality of Andria, and since 1996 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is universally recognised as a brilliant example of medieval architecture, but in reality Castel del Monte blends very different stylistic elements. Just to give you an example, at the entrance you can see two beautiful lions carved in Romanesque style, while the towers already recall Gothic art.
Of all the curiosities about this castle, let me anticipate two!
The spiral staircases connecting the two inner floors are very unusual. In defensive castles the tower stairs were normally built clockwise, to help the defenders in case of attack: it is much easier to wield a sword with your right hand from the inner side than up against the wall. At Castel del Monte, instead, scholars have noticed that the stairs climb the other way round, anticlockwise, a detail that has fuelled the most imaginative interpretations.
The other curiosity concerns the toilets. If you look closely, you will find small rooms with holes in the floor: they are simply old latrines, connected to a hydraulic system of oriental inspiration, remarkably advanced for the time.
In short, Castel del Monte is much more than a castle in the middle of nowhere, and its mysteries still fascinate scholars from all over the world. But there is much more to discover!
Do you fancy learning a bit more?
Let’s go!
The mystery of Castel del Monte
Castel del Monte is a very enigmatic building and, to understand it a little better, I need to say a few words about its history. Don’t worry, nothing too boring or demanding.
The castle was built in the 13th century by an equally mysterious and fascinating man, Frederick II of Swabia. The only document that mentions it is a letter from January 1240, in which the emperor ordered the materials for its construction to be gathered: the building site was probably not entirely finished by the time of his death, in 1250. It rises on a hill in the countryside of Andria, in a position so isolated that it gives the impression the spot was chosen at random, while in fact it has a very precise meaning.
Many think it was a hunting lodge, others a building of representation the sovereign used to display his power. It is in fact completely devoid of defences (no moat, no drawbridge) and has a shape unique in the world.
Here begins the second part of the mystery, the very special symbolism of Castel del Monte.
In the Middle Ages everything was governed by precise symbolic references. At the time this symbolism was not mysterious at all: anyone could read it, because it was part of the shared culture.
Castel del Monte is full of these references, and in particular it has an octagonal shape: on each corner of the octagon stands a tower that is itself octagonal.
But why choose the number 8?
The importance of the number 8
You may have read this elsewhere, but the number 8 is especially important because, since pagan antiquity, it represents the union of earth and sky. It is in fact made of two parts, one upper and one lower.
Moreover, if we turn the number to a horizontal position, we get ∞, the mathematical symbol of infinity.
The number 8 at Castel del Monte is present almost everywhere. Eight are the sides of the castle’s plan, eight the rooms on the ground floor and eight on the first floor, eight the imposing towers, all octagonal, of course. The inner courtyard itself is an octagon, and it is thought that at its centre there was an octagonal basin.
Beyond the number 8, the proportions of Castel del Monte are also said to carry a symbolic meaning: it has long been suggested that the design uses the golden ratio, the “harmonious” proportion the Greeks observed in nature. It is a fascinating reading, but it must be said that no document confirms it with certainty.
Then there is a careful study of light. The plan of the castle seems designed in relation to the solar arc: it is said that, at the equinoxes, the sun’s rays strike precise points of the building, and that the shadow of the cornice falls exactly at the base of the courtyard wall. Here too we are in the realm of interpretation, but everything suggests that Frederick II was no ordinary sovereign, but an intellectual who knew astronomy and classical culture well.
What was the castle for?
Some scholars have theorised that Castel del Monte was the place where Frederick II welcomed the intellectuals of his time, allowing them to study and work in peace.
The truth is that these are all suppositions: no one can say for certain what its original function was, and historians still debate it today.
The sovereign himself wrote a very interesting book, a true hunting manual titled De arte venandi cum avibus (“The Art of Hunting with Birds”), accompanied by drawings and descriptions that reveal a careful observation of nature and animals, anything but obvious in medieval times.
This might suggest that the castle really did serve as a hunting reserve, or simply as a place where the sovereign withdrew to reflect, far from the obligations of his rank.
Castel del Monte, a crossroads of worlds
The shape of Castel del Monte, which from a distance resembles a crown, may recall the theme of royalty.
Something that will probably surprise you, though, is its interior, today particularly bare and undecorated… but it wasn’t always like this.
The castle was once lavishly clad in marble and mosaics. There are also many echoes of the Arab world, from the fireplaces to the toilets, because Frederick II held oriental culture in high regard and studied its language, along with hygiene practices still unknown in the West.
After all, the kingdom of Frederick II stretched from Germany to Sicily, and in his veins ran the Norman blood of his mother, Constance of Hauteville. In southern Italy people met from all over the Mediterranean, and contacts with northern Europe and Arab culture must have been very intense under his reign.
This meeting of cultures is witnessed by the Gothic cross vaults, beneath which open cone-shaped fireplaces of typically Arab design.
All this makes Castel del Monte a jewel in the middle of nowhere, still the object of study after all these centuries.
I was thrilled by it, being passionate about medieval art, but I believe it works its charm on anyone: the vault stones, the cornices, the sculptures at the entrance, everything is imposing and harmonious.
Did you know that it is precisely this castle that appears on the Italian 1-cent euro coins?
How to get to Castel del Monte
As I told you at the beginning, Castel del Monte is in the Puglia countryside, in the territory of Andria, on the Murge plateau.
By car, however, you cannot drive all the way to the castle: a few kilometres before it you will find a car park where you are required to leave your vehicle (about €5) and continue by shuttle (about €2 return). Be careful, because the shuttle only runs from April to October: out of season you go up on foot (about 1.5 km uphill).
If you want to reach Castel del Monte by public transport, the reference town is Andria, connected to Bari by train or bus; from Andria an urban bus takes you to the castle car park, though it too runs mainly in the warmer months.
Precisely because the castle is isolated and awkward to reach, if you set off from Bari without a car the easiest solution is an organised tour: you can book online a visit to Castel del Monte departing from Bari, which includes transport, the shuttle and the entrance ticket.
How to visit Castel del Monte
The castle is open and can be visited all year round (except 25 December and 1 January). Opening hours change with the season: from 1 April to 30 September, 10:00 to 18:45 (last entry 18:00); from 1 October to 31 March, 9:00 to 17:45 (last entry 17:00).
The entrance ticket to Castel del Monte costs €10 (full) and €2 (reduced, for EU citizens aged 18 to 25); it is free for under 18s and on the first Sunday of the month (hours, ticket, car park and shuttle checked in August 2026), when admission is free for everyone. Unlike a few years ago, today the ticket can be booked and bought online from the official Puglia Museums website, handy above all at weekends and in high season.
In any case I recommend at least renting the audio guide, to make the most of the history of this ancient manor and uncover all its secrets. And if you are in the area, don’t miss nearby Trani, with its splendid cathedral on the sea.
And you, have you ever been to Castel del Monte? Which of its mysteries intrigues you the most?
