Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Castel del Monte

Holsterburg Castle was probably built around 1150, first mentioned in writing in 1191 and demolished in 1294. It is located south-east of Warburg. Holsterburg Castle is built as an octagon. This is a very rare type of construction for castles. It is the only one of its kind in Westphalia and one of only three octagonal castles in Germany. Frederick II's famous Castel del Monte was only built a few decades later. The castle was destroyed in 1294 at the end of a lengthy conflict between the old and new towns of Warburg and the noblemen of Holthusen who lived in the castle. The alliance of townsmen from the towns of Warburg, Marsberg, Höxter, Fritzlar and other places conquered the castle, probably with the backing of the Bishop of Paderborn, and then plundered and razed it. However, the troops didn't just leave it at that. They covered the ruins of the castle with a massive mound of earth, the material from which had previously been excavated from the surrounding area, in order to literally "raze the castle to the ground" as a visible sign of its former greatness and erase it from the memory of posterity. In doing so, however, they also unintentionally created excellent preservation conditions. This ultimately led to the mound being misinterpreted as a moth. Excavation of the castle complex began in 2010. Since then, excavation campaigns have been carried out every year. Very good website - in German holsterburg.com/

The castle was built from 1240 to around 1250, but probably never completed and there is no proof, that Emperor Frederick II has ever used Castel del Monte. The castle has an octagonal footprint. At each of the corners there is a tower, also with an octagonal floor plan. The main octagon is 25 meters high, the towers are 26 meters, there have been 5 metres higher originally. The length of the sides of the main octagon is 16.50 meters, that of the towers each 3.10 meters. So the castle is is an octagonal prism with an octagonal tower at each corner. There are no trenches, or loopholes that suggest it was used as a fortress. Instead, the building was decorated on the main portal. The function of the castle has been discussed by scholars over and over, Frederick II was responsible for the construction of many castles in Apulia, but Castel del Monte's geometric design is unique. The octagonal floor plan inspired fantastic thoughts. Most now see the castle as a hunting lodge. Some follow the theory that the octagon is a symbol between a square (representing the earth) and a circle (representing the sky). Frederick II may have been inspired by either the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem or by the Palatine Chapel of Aachen Cathedral. For German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen Castel del Monte was the "Stone Crown of Apulia", a symbol of Frederick II`s power. It is known that it was used occasionally by Frederick´s (illegitime) son Manfred of Sicily. Manfred´s death in the Battle of Benevento (1266) ended the Hohenstaufen rule in Italy. The castle was turned into a state prison by Charles I of Anjou. Manfred´s sons Azzo and Enzo were kept as prisoner for many years. Later the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The castle's marble and other ornamentation were looted. Castel del Monte was purchased in 1876 for the sum of 25,000 lire by the Italian State. The restoration process started and was carried out in accordance with the taste of the time. "Tourism" started mid/end of the 18th century, when young English aristocrats did a detour, to visit Castel del Monte, during their "Grand Tour". With the publications of the 19th centuries the abandoned castle got more and more attractive to tourists. Many of them carved their names into the walls.

The castle was built from 1240 to around 1250, but probably never completed and there is no proof, that Emperor Frederick II has ever used Castel del Monte. The castle has an octagonal footprint. At each of the corners there is a tower, also with an octagonal floor plan. The main octagon is 25 meters high, the towers are 26 meters, there have been 5 metres higher originally. The length of the sides of the main octagon is 16.50 meters, that of the towers each 3.10 meters. So the castle is is an octagonal prism with an octagonal tower at each corner. There are no trenches, or loopholes that suggest it was used as a fortress. Instead, the building was decorated on the main portal. The function of the castle has been discussed by scholars over and over, Frederick II was responsible for the construction of many castles in Apulia, but Castel del Monte's geometric design is unique. The octagonal floor plan inspired fantastic thoughts. Most now see the castle as a hunting lodge. Some follow the theory that the octagon is a symbol between a square (representing the earth) and a circle (representing the sky). Frederick II may have been inspired by either the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem or by the Palatine Chapel of Aachen Cathedral. For German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen Castel del Monte was the "Stone Crown of Apulia", a symbol of Frederick II`s power. It is known that it was used occasionally by Frederick´s (illegitime) son Manfred of Sicily. Manfred´s death in the Battle of Benevento (1266) ended the Hohenstaufen rule in Italy. The castle was turned into a state prison by Charles I of Anjou. Manfred´s sons Azzo and Enzo were kept as prisoner for many years. Later the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The castle's marble and other ornamentation were looted. Castel del Monte was purchased in 1876 for the sum of 25,000 lire by the Italian State. The restoration process started and was carried out in accordance with the taste of the time. The original state of construction was reproduced with modern materials, so in the end, the exterior of the castle was "like new" again. In 1996 Castel del Monte was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The castle was built from 1240 to around 1250, but probably never completed and there is no proof, that Emperor Frederick II has ever used Castel del Monte. The castle has an octagonal footprint. At each of the corners there is a tower, also with an octagonal floor plan. The main octagon is 25 meters high, the towers are 26 meters, there have been 5 metres higher originally. The length of the sides of the main octagon is 16.50 meters, that of the towers each 3.10 meters. So the castle is is an octagonal prism with an octagonal tower at each corner. There are no trenches, or loopholes that suggest it was used as a fortress. Instead, the building was decorated on the main portal. The function of the castle has been discussed by scholars over and over, Frederick II was responsible for the construction of many castles in Apulia, but Castel del Monte's geometric design is unique. The octagonal floor plan inspired fantastic thoughts. Most now see the castle as a hunting lodge. Some follow the theory that the octagon is a symbol between a square (representing the earth) and a circle (representing the sky). Frederick II may have been inspired by either the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem or by the Palatine Chapel of Aachen Cathedral. For German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen Castel del Monte was the "Stone Crown of Apulia", a symbol of Frederick II`s power. It is known that it was used occasionally by Frederick´s (illegitime) son Manfred of Sicily. Manfred´s death in the Battle of Benevento (1266) ended the Hohenstaufen rule in Italy. The castle was turned into a state prison by Charles I of Anjou. Manfred´s sons Azzo and Enzo were kept as prisoner for many years. Later the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The castle's marble and other ornamentation were looted. Castel del Monte was purchased in 1876 for the sum of 25,000 lire by the Italian State. The restoration process started and was carried out in accordance with the taste of the time. The original state of construction was reproduced with modern materials, so in the end, the exterior of the castle was "like new" again. In 1996 Castel del Monte was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The castle was built from 1240 to around 1250, but probably never completed and there is no proof, that Emperor Frederick II has ever used Castel del Monte. The castle has an octagonal footprint. At each of the corners there is a tower, also with an octagonal floor plan. The main octagon is 25 meters high, the towers are 26 meters, there have been 5 metres higher originally. The length of the sides of the main octagon is 16.50 meters, that of the towers each 3.10 meters. So the castle is is an octagonal prism with an octagonal tower at each corner. There are no trenches, or loopholes that suggest it was used as a fortress. Instead, the building was decorated on the main portal. The function of the castle has been discussed by scholars over and over, Frederick II was responsible for the construction of many castles in Apulia, but Castel del Monte's geometric design is unique. The octagonal floor plan inspired fantastic thoughts. Most now see the castle as a hunting lodge. Some follow the theory that the octagon is a symbol between a square (representing the earth) and a circle (representing the sky). Frederick II may have been inspired by either the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem or by the Palatine Chapel of Aachen Cathedral. For German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen Castel del Monte was the "Stone Crown of Apulia", a symbol of Frederick II`s power. It is known that it was used occasionally by Frederick´s (illegitime) son Manfred of Sicily. Manfred´s death in the Battle of Benevento (1266) ended the Hohenstaufen rule in Italy. The castle was turned into a state prison by Charles I of Anjou. Manfred´s sons Azzo and Enzo were kept as prisoner for many years. Later the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The castle's marble and other ornamentation were looted. Castel del Monte was purchased in 1876 for the sum of 25,000 lire by the Italian State. The restoration process started and was carried out in accordance with the taste of the time. The original state of construction was reproduced with modern materials, so in the end, the exterior of the castle was "like new" again. In 1996 Castel del Monte was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The castle was built from 1240 to around 1250, but probably never completed and there is no proof, that Emperor Frederick II has ever used Castel del Monte. The castle has an octagonal footprint. At each of the corners there is a tower, also with an octagonal floor plan. The main octagon is 25 meters high, the towers are 26 meters, there have been 5 metres higher originally. The length of the sides of the main octagon is 16.50 meters, that of the towers each 3.10 meters. So the castle is is an octagonal prism with an octagonal tower at each corner. There are no trenches, or loopholes that suggest it was used as a fortress. Instead, the building was decorated on the main portal. The function of the castle has been discussed by scholars over and over, Frederick II was responsible for the construction of many castles in Apulia, but Castel del Monte's geometric design is unique. The octagonal floor plan inspired fantastic thoughts. Most now see the castle as a hunting lodge. Some follow the theory that the octagon is a symbol between a square (representing the earth) and a circle (representing the sky). Frederick II may have been inspired by either the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem or by the Palatine Chapel of Aachen Cathedral. For German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen Castel del Monte was the "Stone Crown of Apulia", a symbol of Frederick II`s power. It is known that it was used occasionally by Frederick´s (illegitime) son Manfred of Sicily. Manfred´s death in the Battle of Benevento (1266) ended the Hohenstaufen rule in Italy. The castle was turned into a state prison by Charles I of Anjou. Manfred´s sons Azzo and Enzo were kept as prisoner for many years. Later the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The castle's marble and other ornamentation were looted. Castel del Monte was purchased in 1876 for the sum of 25,000 lire by the Italian State. The restoration process started and was carried out in accordance with the taste of the time. The original state of construction was reproduced with modern materials, so in the end, the exterior of the castle was "like new" again. In 1996 Castel del Monte was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and today it attracts thousands of tourists every day.

The castle was built from 1240 to around 1250, but probably never completed and there is no proof, that Emperor Frederick II has ever used Castel del Monte. The castle has an octagonal footprint. At each of the corners there is a tower, also with an octagonal floor plan. The main octagon is 25 meters high, the towers are 26 meters, there have been 5 metres higher originally. The length of the sides of the main octagon is 16.50 meters, that of the towers each 3.10 meters. So the castle is is an octagonal prism with an octagonal tower at each corner. There are no trenches, or loopholes that suggest it was used as a fortress. Instead, the building was decorated on the main portal. The function of the castle has been discussed by scholars over and over, Frederick II was responsible for the construction of many castles in Apulia, but Castel del Monte's geometric design is unique. The octagonal floor plan inspired fantastic thoughts. Most now see the castle as a hunting lodge. Some follow the theory that the octagon is a symbol between a square (representing the earth) and a circle (representing the sky). Frederick II may have been inspired by either the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem or by the Palatine Chapel of Aachen Cathedral. For German historian Carl Arnold Willemsen Castel del Monte was the "Stone Crown of Apulia", a symbol of Frederick II`s power. It is known that it was used occasionally by Frederick´s (illegitime) son Manfred of Sicily. Manfred´s death in the Battle of Benevento (1266) ended the Hohenstaufen rule in Italy. The castle was turned into a state prison by Charles I of Anjou. Manfred´s sons Azzo and Enzo were kept as prisoner for many years. Later the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The castle's marble and other ornamentation were looted. Castel del Monte was purchased in 1876 for the sum of 25,000 lire by the Italian State. The restoration process started and was carried out in accordance with the taste of the time. The original state of construction was reproduced with modern materials, so in the end, the exterior of the castle was "like new" again.

Approaching Emperor Frederick II´s Castel del Monte.