The Angevine-Aragonese castle of Gallipoli dates back to the 13th-14th centuries, but the town used to have a stronghold already during Roman time, together with towers enlarged by the Byzantines and by the Normans. The Angevins and the Aragonese modified the structure of the fortress, but Francesco di Giorgio Martini was the one who made important changes. During the 19th century the moat was filled up and the arches which used to support the lift bridge were filled in.
The fortress has a square base strengthened by the four towers. The tower Vedetta, topped by merlons, has a polygonal shape. The other towers are surrounded by a string course and are decorated with small arches. The eastern curtain, the Rivellino, is a fifth circular tower separated from the rest of the walls and has not been renovated yet. Inside it, there are large rooms with barrel and cross vaults.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.