The Aragonese Castle

The Aragonese Castle of Taranto was inaugurated in 1492. It is a magnificent work of the late 15^th century built on an area that, in the Byzantine era, was destined to the defence of the town.

The castle was exactly the same as today. It has four towers which have very evocative names (St. Cristoforo, St. Lorenzo, dell’Annunziata and della Bandiera) that guaranteed the high military performances thanks to the four overlapping firing positions.

Inside there is the chapel of St. Leonardo, probably designed by Francesco Di Giorgio Martini in the XVI century, in which was celebrated the marriage of the Princess of Taranto Maria D’Enghien and Ladislao, King of Durazzo and first King of Naples.

The prisons of the fortress have also hosted famous people such as Alexandre Dumas.

The “Conte di Montecristo”, written by Dumas’ son a few years later, was an authentic dedication of the writer to the terrible imprisonment of his father inside the Aragonese Castle of Taranto between 1799 and 1800.

Today the structure is directed by the Italian Navy and, even if it’s open to the public, it’s a real military base.