Nicastro Castle

Lamezia Terme, Italy

Nicastro's origins trace back to the 9th century, when Calabria was part of the Byzantine Empire, when a fortress called Neo Castrum ('New Castle') was created. In 1057, the area was conquered by the Normans, but Nicastro revolted against Robert Guiscard and his brother Roger. Having dominated the revolt, the new nobiliary had the castle built, which was restored in the 13th century by Frederick II of Swabia. It served as the place of imprisonment of Frederick II's son Henry.

The castle was destroyed by the disastrous earthquake of 1638 and lies today in ruins.

Address

Via Mosconà 10, Nicastro, Lamezia Terme, Italy

See all sites in Lamezia Terme

Details

Founded: 9th century AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

Rating

3.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Nicastro Cathedral (0,7 km)

Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Isola (50 km)
Tropea Cathedral (50 km)
Murat Castle (30,8 km)
Cosenza Cathedral (34,6 km)
Church of San Domenico (35 km)
Serra San Bruno Charterhouse (46,2 km)
Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta (28,1 km)
Scolacium Archaeological Park (30,3 km)
Squillace Castle (27,9 km)

User Reviews

Céline Timmers (5 months ago)
beautiful castle but it seems to be closed for an undecided period, a shame :(

Saul Macys (7 months ago)
Closed for a long time.

Gin (7 months ago)
It looks stunning but seems like it's closed forever. All gates were closed and overgrown.

adriana bautista (11 months ago)
Long way up and it is not open anymore

daniel Zongrone (2 years ago)
A Castle ruin to discover

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.