The crown of Apulia
In south-eastern Italy, in Apulia, Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen had Castel del Monte built. He commissioned its construction in 1240.
The Castel has inspired countless people ever since and was not called the 'Crown of Apulia' for nothing.
Who was this emperor? The Swabian Hohenstaufen dynasty had extended its rule to southern Italy through marriages, and it was there that Frederick II spent most of his reign. Many of his innovations seem downright modern: Improvements in the health service, decrees against torture and against environmental pollution, promotion of the sciences and poetry. His book on ornithology and hunting with falcons is famous. However, he also foreshadowed the later absolutist state. He loved the pomp of a powerful ruler.
He made a great impression at the Imperial Diet in Ravenna when he carried elephants, camels, lions, panthers, falcons and owls in his retinue.
However, the purpose he pursued with Castel del Monte remains controversial and unclear to this day. Is it a castle or a fortress? It has neither embrasures nor drawbridges, a moat or a gate. Was it only used for representation? Even the entrance portal and the windows are extremely decorative. Or is it a building with mysterious symbolism? Intensive surveying and esoteric interpretations have led to adventurous theories. What is certain, however, is that the basic octagonal shape has an unmistakable symbolic power. The outer façade, the inner courtyard and the eight towers at the eight corners are octagonal.
There is no clear model for this octagon with its many axes of symmetry among earlier forts.
However, it is reminiscent of the octagonal Palatine Chapel in Aachen, where the coronation of the German kings took place, and of the octagonal imperial crown. So was the Castel supposed to reflect the ideal of the empire?
But as unique as this architectural monument to the Middle Ages was, it fell into disrepair over the years and was only restored in the 20th century. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
- Scale 1:250
- Castel dimensions L 35cm, W 35cm, H 12cm
- 6 craft sheets
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