Stewart Island New Zealand. Six day trek to Stewart Island. Transition to Mayson Bay

There are many on the planet beautiful places, enjoying increased attention from tourists. The south of Italy is known throughout the world for its extraordinary architecture, and the eastern region of Puglia is no exception. Many buildings are of interest not only because of their original designs. Buildings, the purpose of which remains a big mystery to posterity, become the subject of discussion among tourists and the object of many years of research by scientists.

Bari: attractions of the Middle Ages

The capital of the region is famous for its religious monuments. Nicholas with the myrrh-streaming relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Church of St. Sabinus - the main attractions ancient city. Around Bari there are medieval historical monuments, which tourists from all over the world come to admire.

The most famous building is the Castel del Monte, called the most mysterious building in Europe. The regular octagon, literally imbued with symbolism, excites the minds of specialists.

The conflicting identity of the castle owner

To understand architectural features capital structure, it is necessary to get to know its owner - an ambiguous person who evokes different feelings among historians.

The controversial personality of Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen has given rise to many controversies and opinions. It is known that his cruelty and thirst for power knew no bounds. For his lack of religious feelings, he was excommunicated from the church, which did not prevent him from winning the Crusade.

The emperor who returned Jerusalem to the Christian world was considered a very educated man. The surviving ancient document describes the decree of Frederick II on the start of large-scale construction of a castle near the monastery of Santa Maria del Monte. Work began on the high hill at the beginning of 1240, lasting about ten years.

The fate of the historical monument

It is believed that the emperor himself took part in the development of the grandiose project of Castel del Monte, but no documentary evidence of his residence in his brainchild was found. After the death of the crowned lady, the castle was inherited by her sons, but after some time it was abandoned and served as a shelter for local shepherds. After repeated acts of vandalism in 1876, it was taken under state protection.

There is a legend that says that the powerful emperor did not die in 1250, but simply hid from the whole world, planning to reform the church and establish peace on earth.

Riddles that don't yet have answers

Not all scientists agree on the start date of the construction of Castel del Monte. It is known that there were serious financial difficulties in 1239, due to which the construction of other fortresses in the empire was suspended. This is one of the first mysteries that experts are still working on to this day.

The second, concerning the true purpose of the monumental structure, torments all historical researchers. Exists official version, according to which the building was originally built as a residence for the emperor who loved falconry. However spiral staircases inside the lock they are twisted to the left, counterclockwise, in a completely different direction than was customary. In the huge room there is not even a hint of rooms for supplies, servants, stables, and the interior decoration is too luxurious for a hunting lodge.

Castle or something else?

Situated on a high hill, the octagon with towers at the corners is unlike other castles. It does not have the required drawbridge, rampart or moat, and the main entrance is designed in the form of the portal of a Gothic temple facing east.

The architectural creation, which is a two-story structure with a flat roof, was included in the UNESCO list in 1999 world heritage.

The symbolism of the eight

The octagonal plan of the building, located in the city of Bari, whose sights are known throughout the world, made the building famous. Despite the fact that the building looks intimidating, it was never a defensive structure. Eight trapezoidal rooms on the ground floor, not intended for receiving guests, and the same number of rooms on the second, corner turrets with eight sides are full of surprises. The symbolic number is repeated in architectural details great amount once.

The courtyard once housed a marble pool, symbolizing the Holy Grail. Needless to say, it also had an octagonal shape. And underneath there were water tanks, combined into a special hydraulic system - the oldest sewer system of the Middle Ages.

The interior of Castel del Monte is surprising: all its details continue the theme of the figure eight - the symbolic figure of infinity, considered the transition from earth to heaven.

Calendar and sundial

Main feature historical monument is its ability to tell time. The first floor is a kind of calendar, counting down time. Each room on the second floor receives direct sunlight twice a day throughout the year (for rooms on the first floor this is only true in summer), turning the structure into a giant sundial.

At noon on the autumnal equinox, the massive walls of the castle cast a shadow that is equal to the length of the courtyard. Gradually it lengthens until it “contains” the entire structure.

A place for occult rituals?

The kingdom of geometry, numerology, and all kinds of secret signs most likely served as a meeting place for communities conducting occult rituals, or as an astronomical observatory in which alchemy was practiced. Frederick II's retinue included the famous astrologer and magician Michele Scoto, whose name was mentioned by Dante in his work, describing the hell of sorcerers.

The construction of Castel del Monte was not without the influence of the Templars. The stone crown of Apulia, as the mysterious masterpiece of world architecture is also called, was the material embodiment of esoteric, astronomical and mathematical knowledge.

Citadel of Secret Knowledge

The national monument is adored by tourists who admire the original stone work, which has no analogues. Travelers coming to the south of Italy certainly visit the legendary castle, the image of which is minted by the country's government on small coins. The majestic building is in no hurry to give away all its secrets, but it is all the more interesting to look into the citadel of secret knowledge.

November 27th, 2013

Castle del Monte ( Castel del Monte) rises alone on the secluded hill of Western Murge in the desert area of ​​​​the city of Andria, province of Bari, at an altitude of 560 meters above sea level. The castle complex received its modern name only at the end of the 15th century; the original name has not been preserved. The castle Castel del Monte was named after the ancient settlement of the same name at the foot of the hill, on which was the small monastery of Santa Maria del Monte. Often local residents Andria call it the “Crown of Apulia”.

The Middle Ages is a huge historical period associated with large-scale events and significant changes in all spheres of life, both individual states and entire nations of Europe and Asia. This is the time of the fall of the Roman Empire and the Great Migration that began after this, which in the future, for many centuries, will serve as fertile ground for the emergence of countless cultural, linguistic and religious conflicts between the Germanic and Romanesque peoples who previously lived on the territory of the once united empire. “The Dark Ages,” as the famous Italian poet Petrarch rightfully called this era, despite the global upheavals, without which not a single civilization has survived in the history of its development, will also become a time of great transformations.

As never before, the church in the person of the Pope will gain unprecedented power and power, which everyone will have to reckon with, from the inhabitants of remote settlements and residents of enlightened cities to monarchs and kings. This is the heyday of the ideals of monasticism and the unlimited power of the Inquisition, sowing the same horror in the souls of both inveterate heretics and the most devout parishioners. The time of chivalry and incessant clashes, when Christians shed each other’s blood in constant internecine wars, and the time of the Great Crusades, when no less blood was shed by Muslims and crusaders on the battlefields in the struggle for holy Jerusalem.

Of course, to get even an approximate idea of ​​the Middle Ages, which occupied almost nine centuries in the history of mankind, you will need to be familiar with much more extensive information. But the mention of these several significant events allows us to get an idea of ​​the time and conditions in which the largely mysterious and in its own unique castle of Castel del Monte was built. And in order to better understand the features of the architecture of the castle or its true purpose, and perhaps try to find clues to some of the mysteries that generously shroud Castel del Monte, it is worth paying attention to the direct owner of the castle, whose personality seems just as colorful , how contradictory.

Much can be said about this man, whose lust for power and cruelty knew no bounds, but the mention of just one fact from his turbulent life gives a very clear and visual idea of ​​the ambiguous character and disposition of this person. So, never having deep religious feelings and in every possible way delaying his participation in the next Crusade, this man still managed to achieve the seemingly impossible - to be excommunicated from the church and, despite the papal anathema, to win the Crusade and return to the Christian world Jerusalem. We are talking about none other than the Holy Roman Emperor, ruler of Germany, king of Sicily and Jerusalem, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen.

The construction of the castle is mentioned only in one document that has survived to this day. It is dated January 29, 1240 and it states that the Holy Roman Emperor Empire Frederick II Staufen ( German Friedrich II von Hohenstaufen) orders the governor and the judge Richard de Montefuscolo buy lime, stone and everything you need...

…pro castro quod apud Sanctam Mariam de Monte fieri volumus…

(for the castle we want to build next to the Church of St. Mary on the hill).

However, further from the document it is not entirely clear what is meant - the beginning of construction or some final work. In favor latest version says another document released in 1241-1246. - Statutum de reparatione castrorum ( list of fortifications that require repairs). It lists Castel del Monte as an already built castle.

As the site for the future construction of the next castle, Frederick II chooses Apulia, a region that was at that time part of the Kingdom of Sicily (now the region of the province of Bari in southern Italy), where he, in fact, grew up and lived all his childhood and youth. According to the prevailing legend, Castel del Monte (from Italian “castle on the mountain” or “mountain castle”) was built on the site of the ruins of the abandoned monastery of St. Mary, or rather, on a small hill in the form of a hill located in the middle of a deserted flat area (in 16 km from the city of Andria), later called Terra di Bari. Hence the origin of the original name of the castle Castrum Santa Maria de Monte, which remained with it for a long time.

The construction of the castle began in 1240, and the completion of the work dates back to 1250, that is, by a strange (or perhaps purely coincidental) coincidence, the completion of Castel del Monte coincided with the year of the death of Frederick II. Which, even putting aside the feigned mystery, involuntarily suggests some symbolism, because after the death of the emperor, the entire House of Hohenstaufen will soon disappear. And one of the most striking reminders of the great dynasty of South German kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire remains the Castel del Monte castle, which has consistently towered over the flat terrain of Apulia for almost 800 years.

According to surviving written evidence, it is known that Frederick II gave preference to the construction of objects and structures exclusively for military purposes. Therefore, it is not surprising that during his reign he managed to rebuild more than 200 castles and fortresses and was mentioned as the founder of only one church in Altamura. There were even legends about the emperor’s passion for defensive fortifications, as if court nobles sometimes begged their ruler to finally take a break and not build so many new castles. But it is not difficult to explain such a sacrifice of the spiritual needs of one’s people for the sake of purely practical military goals; one need only remember the difficult and irreconcilable relationship between the emperor and the Pope.

In those days, the Papal States sought at all costs to protect itself and its possessions from the encroachments of the Holy Roman Empire, and therefore extremely tense relations always remained between each newly elected pope and the emperor. And even the first and second excommunications of Frederick II (in 1227 and 1239) and the nickname of “the real Antichrist”, which was firmly attached to the emperor, are hardly capable of showing the hostility and hatred that they had for each other, perhaps, at that time two most powerful rulers Catholic world. Therefore, the struggle between Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX for the central part of Italy, which over time developed into an open and fierce confrontation, simply could not help but affect the policies pursued by the emperor. All the more mysterious against the backdrop of the constant wars and uprisings that Frederick II waged and suppressed is his idea of ​​​​building the Castel del Monte castle, which, in fact, is neither a castle nor a fortress.

The basis of the two-story building of Castel del Monte was taken from a completely non-standard shape of a regular octagon, thanks to which the castle remains the only fortification with such an unusual layout. Moreover, among all the medieval castles Western Europe. Which, in fact, complicates and often baffles modern researchers who are busy searching for reliable analogues that in the 13th century could have inspired Frederick II to build such an unusual structure for his era. But knowing about the emperor’s good acquaintance with the mentality of the eastern people (especially the Saracens), his tolerance for foreign cultures and religions and his extreme free-thinking, it can be assumed that the prototypes of the future Castel del Monte could have been borrowed by Frederick II from the Muslim world, during his Crusade to the Holy Land.

The Dome of the Rock mosque, built in Jerusalem back in the 7th century AD, is often associated with this version. and also shaped like an octagon. Returning to the castle, it is worth noting that in addition to the octagonal walls 25 meters high, each corner of the castle is adjacent to octagonal towers, whose tops rise above the ground a little higher - 26 meters. As is easy to see, the number of corners and, accordingly, towers of Castel del Monte is eight, but on each of the two floors of the castle there are eight identical halls, and if you look closely at the decoration of the rooms, you can also find a frequent eightfold repetition of the details of the internal ornament.

And as if this repetition of the number 8 seemed small, the courtyard of the castle, which could well have the shape of a circle or square, is also the same octagon. Hence, it is not surprising that there is a strong association of the Castel del Monte castle with the mysterious number 8, which constantly serves as an object of intense interest to historians, adherents of numerology, and ordinary lovers of secrets and riddles.

Due to its external similarity, Castel del Monte is often called the “crown of Apulia”. Indeed, this comparison seems fair, and not only due to the external similarity, but also because Frederick II wore an eight-pointed crown. So the castle and its characteristic shape could serve as a symbol of the emperor’s power, which he wished to capture “in stone.” Strictly speaking, during the construction of the castle only limestone (base) and marble (columns, decoration of windows and portals) were used, but this in no way violates the version of the castle-symbol, but rather, on the contrary, only once again confirms it. Marble as a building material undoubtedly has a lot of advantages, but it is hardly suitable for the construction of such powerful defensive fortifications as castles, fortresses or forts.

Thus, the origin of the number 8 is largely associated directly with the architecture of the Castel del Monte castle. True, there are other assumptions, because the same number can be seen in the ring of Frederick II, decorated with eight petals, and by looking into the history of various cultures and teachings, you can also find your own interpretation of the symbolism of the number 8, as the personification of power, wealth, success or good luck . But let’s finally leave the numbers and move directly to the features of the castle’s arrangement, which could equally well be called a hunting residence, a monument, a kind of observatory, or even a religious building.

When building fortifications in the Middle Ages, paramount importance was always given to the ability of a castle or fortress to withstand any attack and its ability to withstand long sieges. But, turning to the history of Castel del Monte, you can discover a strange feature - ditches were never dug around the castle or even earthen ramparts were poured. In addition, there are no storage facilities in the castle where food supplies should be stored in the event of a siege. On the other hand, taking a closer look at the castle, along with small windows, you can also notice narrow slits of loopholes located along the perimeter of all the towers. This means that the small garrison that could be accommodated in the interior could still count on at least some advantage (besides the impressive walls) during the defense of the castle. But then it becomes completely unclear why the spiral staircases in the towers of Castel del Monte are twisted “in the wrong direction.” According to one of the rules of "castle building", spiral staircases should rise from floor to floor in a clockwise direction.

This gives castle defenders a better position, as attacking soldiers have to climb stairs and fight in an awkward position. But the thing is that the soldiers going to storm the castle are deprived of the opportunity to deliver the most powerful blows with their main weapons - swords, because this requires swinging from right to left, while the soldiers defending the castle, thanks to the twisting of the stairs and a higher her position will always be slightly to the right. So the non-standard (counterclockwise) direction of the spiral staircases of Castel del Monte would have received at least some justification only if the castle had been besieged by troops consisting exclusively of left-handers. Or, what is more obvious, Frederick II in this way once again emphasized the non-defense purpose of the castle.

Among the emperor's hobbies, falconry occupied a special place, to which he devoted a lot of his free time. And based on his own observations and experiments, Frederick II even wrote a treatise “The Art of Hunting with Birds.” Thus, based on the emperor’s passion for hunting, there is an assumption about the construction of Castel del Monte as a hunting residence. But such an idea is called into question by the extreme luxury and exorbitant richness of the interior furnishings that the castle could boast of at the time of its completion. Another purpose of Castel del Monte is associated with the peculiarities of the orientation of its entrances and windows to the cardinal points.

The main gate of the castle faces exactly to the east, and the spare gates are located strictly in the opposite - western - direction. As for the windows, both external and facing the courtyard, they are arranged in such a way that the rooms of the second floor are illuminated by direct sunlight throughout the year, and the eight halls of the first floor receive natural and, interestingly, light during the summer and winter solstice. , absolutely uniform lighting. This is where the version of the castle as a medieval observatory or a huge astronomical calendar was born.

Supporters of occultism and mysticism make their contribution to the emergence of much more sacred reasons for the construction, as well as the very purpose of Castel del Monte. They are of the view that followers of some secret teachings or societies hidden from the eyes of the uninitiated (to which Frederick II could belong) used the castle to conduct their ritual or religious rites.

Of course, direct evidence of such a version cannot be found, but many tourists, after visiting the castle, often point out the strange and unusual sensations that they experience when they first find themselves inside Castel del Monte. Perhaps people are impressed by the massiveness and impressiveness of the structure or the antiquity of the castle and its centuries-old history, which inevitably takes their breath away. But who knows, whether some mysterious energy is making itself felt, which has not yet lost its power and is still stored within the walls of Castel del Monte?

Well, in conclusion, just a brief acquaintance with the most famous medieval castle In Italy, if we still ignore otherworldly forces, it is worth recalling that Castel del Monte, shortly after the death of Frederick II, would serve as a prison for his grandchildren. Then, having lost its former significance and grandeur, after numerous lootings, the castle will lose both its former splendor and its austere beauty. Over the centuries, the octagonal fortress, a monument to the power of the Hohenstaufen family, the hunting residence of the emperor, and the cult-astronomical structure would become a refuge where the local nobility would seek salvation from the plague epidemics that broke out more than once throughout Europe and reached the southernmost regions of Italy.

Around the 17th century, the castle suffered the unenviable fate of being abandoned and living out its last days in complete desolation. But, fortunately, after almost 200 years of slow and therefore imperceptible destruction, the abandoned castle will be remembered again. In 1876, following the unification of Italy into a single state, restoration work began at the Castel del Monte castle, and in 1996 the castle will become one of the historical sites protected by the UNESCO World Heritage Fund. (whc.unesco.org/en/list/398)

And although today Castel del Monte has become a historical and tourist attraction, it still serves as a living reminder of the entire Hohenstaufen dynasty, which gave the world such great rulers as Conrad III, Frederick I Barbarossa and Henry VI.

In 1459, the fortress came into the possession of the noble Italian family of Lord Ferrante of Aragon. And in 1656, the castle last served as a residence for noble families of Italy fleeing the plague, which was raging in the city of Andria. And after some time, Castel del Monte was empty and only in the 19th century it became the home of shepherds, local bandits and marauders. During this period, the castle was looted, precious marble materials were stripped from the walls, and the rich sculptures were sold.

In 1876, the fortification came into the possession of the noble Carafa family, which began its restoration and reconstruction.

Currently, the Castel del Monte castle is a monument of medieval architecture and is open to all tourists.

Castel del Monte, whose name translates as “castle on the mountain,” stands in the city of Andria in the Italian region of Apulia. It once bore the name Castrum Sancta Maria del Monte, as it was built on the site of the previously existing monastery of St. Mary of the Mountain. True, by the time the castle was built in the middle of the 13th century, nothing remained of the monastery.

Construction of the castle began by order of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and lasted about ten years. Already in 1250, the powerful structure was ready, although the interior decoration continued.

Having the shape of a regular octagon, Castel del Monte is located 16 km from the city of Andria, in a place called Terra di Bari - Land of Bari. The same octagonal towers were built at the corners. The height of the castle reaches 25 meters, the length of the walls is 16.5 meters, and the width of the walls of the towers is 3.1 meters. The main entrance is located on the eastern side, and there is a secondary portal on the western side. Interesting feature The castle is that the two sides of the side tower are in contact with one of the sides of the main building.

It must be said that the two-story Castel del Monte is not actually a castle in the full sense of the word, since it does not have a moat, ramparts or a drawbridge. There are no storage rooms, stables or a separate kitchen here. Therefore, the purpose of Castel del Monte is still controversial among scientists. The generally accepted version is that the castle was the hunting residence of Emperor Frederick II. True, the richly decorated interior makes scientists argue further - this decoration was too lush and elegant for a hunting lodge.

Inside the castle consists of 16 rooms, eight on each floor. Corner towers are occupied by wardrobes, toilets and spiral staircases, the latter twisting not to the right, but to the left. The location of the castle rooms is interesting: for example, two rooms on the first floor do not have exits to the courtyard. Four rooms have only one door, and the passage halls have 2-3 portals. All rooms on the second floor are illuminated by sunlight twice a day throughout the year, and the rooms on the first floor are illuminated only in summer. This strange design suggests that the Castel del Monte was a kind of astronomical instrument: its upper part is a giant sundial, and the first floor serves as a calendar, the spaces of which are evenly illuminated for the summer and winter solstice. And this is another unsolved mystery ancient castle, which locals call the “Crown of Apulia”.

For some reason we haven’t paid attention to castles in VO for a long time, but there are so many of them that... well, you simply can’t tell about them all. Just think: in France today there are more than 600 of them, but before there were even more - about 6000! There are more than 2,000 of them in Spain, and 250 are intact. And there is also England, Germany, the Czech Republic and even the same Poland, where one of the largest brick castles in the world stands - Marienburg Castle. IN Kaliningrad region the ruins of ancient castles rise everywhere, and in one of them, Schaaken, amusing “medieval performances” are played out with real “knightly horseradish,” beer and fried herring. And each, by the way, is unique, because they were built in different places, in different time and from different materials. And their builders also had different means at their disposal. For example, Beaumaris Castle in England was built in just 18 months, from 1278 to 1280, and all because 400 masons and 1000 laborers worked on it, and in total there were more than 2000 people working there. Now let’s see what it cost to feed such a crowd: half a liter of grain per person per day (1800 hectoliters for six months!), and also meat, beer, and salted fish. So it is not surprising that the castle of his father, King Henry, was paid for by his son, Richard the Lionheart, for 12 years!

This is what Castel del Monte looks like, located on a low hill in the middle of a plain and blooming orchards.


Well, this is what it looks like from above today.

There were castles-fortresses and castles for living, there were known “royal castles” and castles that belonged to lords, castles about which everything is known and castles filled with secrets. And today our story will be about one of these castles. And this castle is called Castel del Monte, which in Italian means “castle on the mountain” or “mountain castle”.


It has survived very well to this day, and that’s not surprising. It had never been subjected to sieges, no one lived in it, and there were no villagers nearby who could dismantle it into stones.

The castle is located in the south of Italy, only 16 km from the city of Andria, so getting to it is not difficult. Well, it is interesting primarily because it is a memory of Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, whom his contemporaries called some “a crusader without a cross and without a campaign,” while others (it is clear that, first of all, these were his court poets and the courtiers themselves) !) was pompously called the “Miracle of the World.”


Image of Frederick II from his book De arte venandi cum avibus (On the Art of Hunting with Birds), late 13th century. (Vatican Apostolic Library, Rome)

It was built (if compared with the same Beaumaris) for quite a long time, from 1240 to 1250. Hordes of Mongols ravaged the fields and cities of Europe, blood was shed everywhere, and here people were cutting their own stones, mixing mortar and, not in a very hurry, transporting stone to the construction site. The usual load for a team of two oxen was 2.5 tons, but with such a load they could travel no more than 15 km a day, so it’s not hard to imagine how much effort and time it took to transport just building material here to the plain. The architect of the castle is unknown (although it is possible that Frederick himself participated in the construction). At first, the castle was given the name castrum Sancta Maria de Monte, named after the Maria del Monte monastery located there. But nothing remains of him, so this cannot be said with certainty. It is generally considered that this is one of the most outstanding castles of the era of Emperor Frederick II. The castle also has another name - “Crown of Apulia”, which is in some way connected with its shape. Here it must be said that Emperor Frederick was known to his contemporaries as one of the most educated people of that time, that he could speak Greek and Arabic, and, of course, wrote and spoke Latin and invited poets and artists from the West to his court , and from the East. Mathematical competitions were held at his court, in which the famous mathematician Fibonacci took part, and perhaps this somehow influenced the strict architectural form of the castle.


The entrance to the castle was clearly intended only for people, and not for horses, and this was at a time when all the nobility traveled only on horseback. Even women.

The fact is that Castel del Monte has the appearance of a regular octagon 25 m high, at the corners of which towers rise, also built in the form of octagons 26 m high. The length of each side of the main octagon is 16.5 m, and the lengths of the sides of the small octagons towers is 3.1 m. The main entrance to the castle is oriented to the east and is located between two towers. The other entrance is directly opposite the first.


This is what the castle looked like in 1898.

Although Castel del Monte is called a castle, this building is not a castle in the strict sense of the word. It has no moat, no rampart, and no drawbridge. There are no stores for supplies, no stables, no kitchen. The entrance to it is designed like the portal of a Gothic cathedral. And its functional purpose is completely unclear. It was suggested that perhaps it should have become the emperor’s hunting residence, but its interior chambers, according to a number of researchers, were too richly decorated and furnished for a simple “hunting lodge.”


The entrance resembles a cathedral portal.

Purely structurally, Castel del Monte is a two-story stone structure with a flat roof. Exactly at half its height, along the entire perimeter there is a small cornice dividing the floors. The second cornice, which separates the base of the building, runs at a height of about 2 m. Since the “castle” has the shape of an octagon, its courtyard has the same shape of a regular octagon.


We enter its courtyard...


... look up and see a regular octagon!

The entire castle building looks like one single monolith, and that is essentially what it is. It is built from polished limestone blocks, but the columns, frames of the castle windows and its portals are made of marble. There are two windows on the outer wall - with one arch on the first floor and two on the second. But for some reason, one window on the second floor, facing north, has three arches.


The layout of the castle is also a mystery in its own way. Well, why not connect all the rooms with passages? Why was it necessary to do exactly this?

Now let’s do a little math and find out that the entire building is connected with the number eight, and in numerology it is a symbol of peace and infinity, and is located between the worlds of Heaven and Earth. All this smacks of real occultism. And Frederick was very inclined towards him. And in general he was a great rationalist. For example, he denied the divine origin of the stigmata of Francis of Assisi - an unprecedented case for a Christian, and on the grounds that, they say, they appeared on his palms, and Christ could not be nailed to the cross in this way, since the bones of the palm were not strong and could not withstand would be the weight of his body! Truly divine stigmata would appear on the wrists, between the radius and ulna bones!


External windows of the first and second floors.

The 16 interior rooms of the castle are shaped like regular trapezoids, eight on each floor. At the same time, in the corner turrets there are wardrobes, toilets and spiral staircases leading upstairs. It is interesting that these stairs do not curl to the right, as was the fashion of those years for defense purposes, but to the left, like a snail’s shell. Moreover, it is known that Friedrich himself was not left-handed.


Left-handed staircase?

Three portals on the first floor lead into the castle courtyard, but in addition to them, on the second floor level there are also three doors that should have opened onto a circular wooden balcony, which has not survived to this day. There are also small windows in the walls facing the courtyard. Thus, light penetrates into its interior through both the external and internal walls. There were no crenellations either on the walls or along the perimeter of the turrets and... the question legitimately arises, how would the people who were supposed to live in this castle intend to defend it if necessary?


Second floor window. Inside view.

Although all rooms, both on the first and second floors, have the same shape for all, they still differ from each other in the location of the entrance doors. The two halls on the first floor have exits outside the castle through the eastern and western portals, but they do not have exits to the courtyard, although they do have doors to other halls. That is, from hall No. 2 you cannot get to hall No. 3 except through the courtyard, although only a wall separates them. You need to go out into the courtyard, go to hall No. 4 and from there get to hall No. 3! But from room No. 4 you can freely go to rooms 5,6,7,8. That is, in addition to the passage halls, which have 2-3 doors, there are also those in the castle in which there is only one door. And there are 4 such halls - again, two on each floor. Each of these 4 rooms has a fireplace and a passage to the toilet, located in the adjacent tower. The toilets were designed in such a way that they were well ventilated through vents in the walls and even - oh, a miracle of the architecture and construction art of that time - they could be flushed with water from the tanks located on the roof. There is a room that is usually called the throne room. Its window faces east and is located above the main portal. However, it has neither a fireplace nor a toilet.


Typical Gothic cross-domed vault.

And now the most interesting thing: these same windows are in the walls of the first and second floors. Through them, direct sunlight necessarily penetrates into every room on the second floor twice a day all year round, but on the first floor this only happens in the summer. That is, what happens? The upper part of the castle is essentially a huge sundial, and the first floor can even serve as a calendar. So this whole castle is nothing more than a giant astronomical instrument? Quite possible. No documents about its construction have survived. More precisely, there is one document dated January 29, 1240, in which the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II Staufen orders the governor and judge Richard de Montefussol to buy lime, stone and everything necessary for construction. There is also a document from 1241-1246. - “List of fortifications requiring repair.” But in it, Castel del Monte is already indicated as a built, and not a castle under construction. There is also no evidence that Frederick II ever visited this castle or used it as his hunting residence. And in 1250, Frederick II died and the castle passed to his sons.


Although Frederick was a knight, he did not like to fight. He achieved his goals through negotiations. Therefore, his biographers had to resort to outright forgeries. For example, in this miniature depicting the Battle of Giglio (1241), Frederick is shown on the left wearing a helmet with a crown, although in fact he did not participate in it. "New Chronicle" by Giovanni Villani. (Vatican Apostolic Library, Rome)

It was here that the truth of the saying that “nature rests on children” was confirmed. If Frederick successfully resisted two Popes, was excommunicated three times, managed to return Jerusalem to Christians without war, having signed an agreement with Sultan al Kamil on transferring the holy places of Palestine to them, then his son Manfred died without having achieved the throne of Sicily and Naples, and his young children: Frederick, Henry and Enzo were imprisoned by his conqueror Charles of Anjou in this castle for 33 years. And then this castle was completely abandoned and was only occasionally used for wedding ceremonies, and the local nobility were saved there from the plague.


Such “heads” were used very often in the architecture of that time.

In 1876, the castle was acquired by the state, restored and put in order, and in 1996 UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List, so today it is looked after, put in order, and the flow of tourists to it does not subside!


Model of the Castel del Monte castle by Aedes Ars.

P.S. Isn’t it possible to just go and see this castle? Then this is at your service... a model on a scale of 1:150, which is assembled from small bricks! This is what people have come to today - they also offer such original “prefabricated models”. The quality can be judged from the photograph. The manufacturer is the Spanish company Aedes Ars, and the photo of the assembled castle was kindly provided to us by the company “Shipyard on the Table”.

The majestic Castel del Monte is one of the most famous attractions in the Italian region of Puglia. Moreover, it would not be an exaggeration to say that this is one of the most mysterious castles in the world.

Unlike others mystical places, the amazing castle is not hidden from prying eyes behind mountains and forests. On the contrary, it is noticeable from afar. You are driving along the freeway and you see, there he is, a handsome man, towering at the top of the hill. And it doesn’t matter that the name of the building translates as “castle on the mountain”; only those who have never seen real mountains in their life can take the name Castel del Monte literally. It was built as a castle on the very spot where the Maria del Monte monastery was located until the thirteenth century, hence the first name of the structure, which few people remember today - castrum Sancta Maria de Monte.

In the photo: view of Castel del Monte

Today the crowd of people visiting Castel del Monte never stops. Thank you very much for this magical world cinema and the Italian director Matteo Garrone in particular, because it was in the unusual halls of this monumental structure that he settled the characters - a king who raised a flea, and a princess whom an eccentric father married off to an cannibal. Interestingly, until the twentieth century, the castle was abandoned, and shepherds spent the night there. Today architectural structure is under the care of UNESCO, as a result, it was washed and put in order, but the interior decoration of the halls was not preserved - Matteo Garrone also had to hastily fill the space of the premises with props brought to the castle.

In the photo: filming of the film “Scary Tales”

Garrone chose Castel del Monte for the film adaptation of the tales of the Neapolitan Giambattista Basile for a reason, because this place is mysterious to the point of impossibility. Although Castel del Monte, located 16 kilometers from the city of Andria, bears the honorary title of one of the most famous medieval castles in the world, it is not essentially a castle.

Still from the film "Penny Dreadful", the princess and the king on the roof of the castle

The point is that in understanding normal person During the Middle Ages, a castle could only be built for one of two purposes. The first goal, which is also the main one, is defense and control of the area. In this case, one or another lord built a small fortress, usually on the top of a mountain, which helped repel enemy attacks, and at the same time generally influence the situation in the area. The second task is a fortified place to live. Sometimes castles grew to the size of cities, for example, and their powerful walls again made it possible to hold back hordes of enemies.

But Castel del Monte is not intended for defense at all. Where are the fortress walls and the moat with water? Where are any decent defensive fortifications? This place also seems unsuitable for living. Of course, Walter Scott wrote in his “Ivanhoe” that the concept of “comfort” did not exist in the Middle Ages, but this castle, even by medieval standards, is far from the home of a self-respecting lord. It’s good that all the halls inside are connected to each other, but, most importantly, there is no space for a stable and there is no kitchen. So, most of all, the castle looks like a kind of ancient art object, built for the sake of ideas; such houses are sometimes designed by modern architects who have received absolute carte blanche to realize their creative ideas, coupled with an unlimited budget.

This association is very appropriate if you know who built Castel del Monte. The castle on the mountain was built by Emperor Frederick II Staufen himself, a legendary figure in all respects. He not only managed to win the title of Holy Roman Emperor from his competitors and lead the Sixth Crusade, but was also considered one of the most educated people of his time. He knew Greek, Latin and Arabic, founded a university in Naples, where not only Christians, but also Jews and Arabs taught, and this, by the way, was the height of tolerance by medieval standards. In general, Frederick II was very far from Christian prejudices; here are illustrative examples: the emperor insisted that doctors study anatomy on corpses, and Frederick also warmly treated Fibonacci and even organized mathematical tournaments.

In the photo: engraving of Frederick II

The emperor also had a penchant for writing: an essay on falconry is credited to his pen, and at his court he created the Sicilian school of poetry. At the same time, like all progressive people of his time, Frederick II was a fan of a wide variety of mystical teachings and studied astronomy and astrology. The emperor’s personal life was also interesting; he earned the reputation of Bluebeard, since he was married four times, although his last marriage with his constant mistress Bianca Lancia was never recognized by the church. Frederick II sired a great many children - 20 legitimate ones, but for obvious reasons no one scrupulously counted the bastards.

Frederick II built Castel del Monte from 1240 to 1250, that is, in the last decade of his life. The name of the architect is unknown, but many historians, not without reason, believe that it was the emperor himself - the resulting design was very intricate. The fact is that, like many medieval mystics, Frederick was obsessed with the number eight, which symbolizes infinity, and it can be traced constantly in the structure of the castle.

It’s worth starting with the fact that the castle, when viewed from above, is a regular octagon, and an octagonal tower is erected at each corner of the structure. The shape of the castle's courtyard also follows the octagon. The castle has only two floors, the roof is flat, and the main entrance to Castel del Monte faces strictly east, because, as they believed in the Middle Ages, the good news came to us from the east.

In the photo: windows overlooking the castle courtyard

Each floor of the castle has 8 rooms, all of them connected to each other, so you can easily walk around the perimeter of Castel del Monte. The rooms are made in the shape of trapezoids, and windows are cut into the walls. Toilets, wardrobes and spiral staircases are located in the corner turrets. By the way, the stairs in the castle are a different story - usually in all castles they are “twisted” to the right, since this is optimal for the defense of the object, but in Castel del Monte they, on the contrary, are “twisted” to the left, that is, the way they do nature, because mollusk shells or snail shells are twisted to the left.

In the photo: stairs in Castel del Monte

All rooms of the castle are absolutely identical, the rooms differ from each other only in the location of the doors and the number of windows. The decorative elements are again dominated by the number eight: on the capitals of the columns there are eight leaves, on the bas-reliefs in the rooms there are eight leaves or clover flowers.

Another interesting thing is that direct rays of sunlight fall into the windows of the second floor twice a day (with the first floor this rule only works in the summer), so many assume that the mysterious castle is nothing more than a huge sundial, and at the same time an astronomical one device. In addition, twice a year during the summer and winter solstice, sunlight is evenly distributed among all rooms on the first floor. This, of course, is also no coincidence, so many historians suggest that the first floor of Castel del Monte is a kind of analogue of the solar calendar.

Here you could calm down, but here’s another interesting reason for reflection - twice a year, on April 8 and October 8, the sun’s rays pass through the windows of the castle into the courtyard in such a way that they fall strictly on that part of the wall where in the time of Frederick II, a certain bas-relief was carved, now lost. Well, to make things even more complicated, it’s worth remembering that October in the thirteenth century was considered the eighth month of the year.

Frederick II died before finishing the construction of the castle - the building of Castel del Monte was completed, but the interior decoration was not completed. After the death of the emperor, there were legends in Europe that Frederick did not die, but disappeared in an unknown direction in order to reform the church and establish universal brotherhood and peace. There is a certain symbolism in this, because the octagon, repeated in the structure of Castel del Monte, in the Middle Ages symbolized the transition from the world of the living to the kingdom of the dead, and at the same time the unity of heaven and earth.

Everything is very simple here - the square was considered a symbol of the earth, the circle was a symbol of the sky, and the octagon was an intermediate figure, denoting both unity and transition. However, scientists who are far from mystical believe that the repeated use of the octagon is simply a reference to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, because Frederick II saw the dome over the cornerstone during his crusade.

Biblical symbolism is also encrypted in Castel del Monte. The fact is that the castle has exactly five water tanks and five fireplaces, many associate this with the phrase of the Baptist John from the Gospel of Luke: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who comes after me is stronger than I; I am not worthy to carry His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” So, it is easy to assume that Castel del Monte was for Frederick II an analogue of a temple, erected according to his personal design, and this fully corresponds to the ambitions of the emperor.

By the way, this hypothesis is confirmed by another interesting detail. If you look closely at the entrance to the castle, you will notice a giant letter F encrypted there. If the tomb of Frederick II were inside, associations with pyramids would be inevitable, and so Castel del Monte seems to be a kind of personal portal of the emperor, built according to his plan and in his honor. At least, when you stand in the courtyard of the castle and, raising your head, look at the sky, imprisoned in the octagon of powerful walls made of limestone, a feeling of belonging to the medieval magical tradition arises even in the most inveterate materialists. And this place has a special energy, in the style of those “Scary Tales” by Matteo Garrone.

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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past, he was the editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and the editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]

 

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