Top 4 Castles around Montescaglioso

The historic center of Bernalda is a dive into an ancient and panoramic corner, white to soften the sun and made of well-maintained light stone. The church and the castle ramparts appear as a single entity, but this architectural aspect should be explored further. From below the town, it's a beautiful sight.

Fabulous Malconsiglio Castle, where the famous Conspiracy of the Barons took place.

[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.

One of Ginosa’s most striking landmarks, perhaps the most prominent historical site, is the Norman Castle. Built towards the end of the land spur in what is the northern end of the historical centre, the castle has commanding views over both Rioni di Casale and Rioni di Rivolta, and on to the surrounding plains beyond the ravine. The castle is the handiwork of Robert Guiscard, born in Normandy who was a significant figure in the Norman conquest of southern Italy during the 11th and 12th centuries. Guiscard became the Count of Apulia and Calabria between 1057 and 1059, and then Duke of Apulia and Calabria as well as Duke of Sicily between 1059 and 1085. He had the Ginosa castle built in 1080. A fortress, clearly occupying the most strategic spot being almost entirely surrounded by the ravine, built to protect the town against Saracen raids. At this time Puglia and much of southern Italy was being fought over between the Normans and the Byzantines. Today the castle looks more like a large palazzo than a Norman castle. This is because the distinctive Norman features, crenellated towers and a drawbridge, were removed or altered in the 16th century when the castle became the baronial seat of the Doria family. For example, the drawbridge was replaced by an arched bridge that links the castle’s entrance to Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

In one of the highest points of Matera stands its castle with an adjoining park, often home to musical events.

Municipality in the Basento valley of around 12,000 inhabitants, Bernalda boasts a characteristic historic center which stands on a plateau sloping towards the sea. From here it is splendid to observe the Ionian Sea and the hamlet of Metaponto. Also of particular beauty are the church of San Bernardino and the castle of Bernalda, probably built by the Normans.

The castle famous for being the site of the barons' conspiracy against King Ferdinand I of Naples. Usually visited independently.

With its imposing parallelogram structure and flanked by seven towers, the Malconsiglio Castle stands out in the center of Miglionico, on top of a cliff from which it dominates the entire Bradano Valley. Built starting from the 7th-9th century, it is known to have been the theater of the Conspiracy of the Barons, in 1485.