San Basilio Castle

The Castle of San Basilio was built as a fortified farmhouse around the 7th century by the monastic community of the Basilian monks. It later became a Norman feud and gradually took on the characteristics of a castle with the construction of the central tower. It was later donated to the Benedictine community of the Santa Maria del Casale Abbey in Pisticci by the Norman feudal lords.

In the 14th century, it came under the ownership of the Certosa di Padula, and in 1830, it passed to Marquis Angelo Matteo Ferrante di Ruffano and his son Matteo Gennaro. Currently, it is owned by the Berlingieri family and houses an important collection of contemporary art works and installations.

The imposing building is centered around a central courtyard, with the main buildings overlooking it, including the refectory, kitchen, dormitory, archive, library, 18th-century chapel, and chapter hall.

The complex is dominated by the large square tower of King Roger, who had it built in the early 11th century. From its summit, one can enjoy a panoramic view of an extensive territory encompassing the entire Gulf of Taranto. In fact, the castle is situated on a gentle hill that allows it to dominate the surrounding area, yet it is immersed in greenery in such a way that it could not be easily located by enemies. The main function of the tower was to control the coastline, aided by other nearby towers, to sound the alarm in case of Saracen pirate landings. The bell for the alarm is still located on the tower's terrace.

The external entrance used to consist of a drawbridge, which has now been replaced by a masonry arch bridge. The coat of arms of the Berlingeri family of Crotone is present on the entrance portal.

References:

• Wikipedia

Address

Pisticci, Italy

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy