Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Manfred of Sicily

Trani may have been founded by Greek settlers, but the known history starts late. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was dominated by Lombards, Byzantines, Saracens and again Byzantines. With the conquest of southern Italy by the Normans and after 50 days of siege by Robert Guiscard´s troops, Trani became part of the Norman Empire in 1073. Already under the Byzantines, Trani had become an important port for trade with the Orient. The heyday was in the time of the crusades in the 12th and 13th centuries, when crusaders and merchants mainly went to the Holy Land from Bari and Trani. It became an episcopal see in place of Canosa, destroyed by the Saracens. Frederick II promoted the Teutonic Knights and the Jewish community and built a massive castle. Under his rule, the city reached its highest point of wealth and prosperity. Castello svevo (svevo = Swabian) was built from 1233 to 1247 during the reign of Emperor Frederick II. The castle was built on a rocky shore in the middle of the bay of Trani. A moat separated the castle from the mainland. On one of the towers, Frederick II had Pietro Tiepolo, the son of the Venetian doge Jacopo Tiepolo. He had been captured as mayor of Milan at the Battle of Cortenova in 1237. Manfred of Sicily, the son of Frederick II, married his second wife here. After the end of the Hohenstaufen rule, which began with Manfred's death in the Battle of Benevento, the victorious House of Anjou rebuilt the castle so that in 1268 the marriage of Charles I of Naples and Margaret of Burgundy could be celebrated here. When the castle came under the rule of the Spanish under Charles V in 1533, it was extensively rebuilt to adapt it to the new defense requirements. The southern façade facing the countryside was reinforced and bastions were built on the corner towers. From 1832 Castello Svevo was again rebuilt to transform it into a central provincial prison, which opened in 1844 and was in operation until 1974.

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.

The history of Manfredonia starts in Siponto, where the Normans had established themselves in 1042. At that time the near mountain ridge "Monte Gargano" was still under Byzantine rule, what changed when in 1052 the Normans won a decisive victory there over the Byzantine troops in 1052. An earthquake in 1223 destroyed Siponto and transformed the landscape into a swamp, where Malaria occurred. Siponto was abandoned and Manfred, son of Emperor Friedrich II, laid the foundation stone for a new city in 1256, which he gave his name to. Manfred still commissioned the construction of the fortress but did not see it completed. He fell in the Battle of Benevento in 1266 when his force was defeated by the army of Charles, Count of Anjou, what ended the rule of the House of Staufer in Southern Italy. The Anjou completed the fortress and renamed the city "Sypontum Novellum", to erase the memory of Manfred, but the new name was ultimately unsuccessful. When Manfredonia was conquered and looted by Ottoman Turks in 1620, the city was set on fire and razed to the ground, leaving only the fortress and the city walls. This destroyed as well the cathedral, that had been completed in1274 after the bishopric was moved to Manfredonia from Siponto. It was not rebuilt until 1700, using the ruins of the old Angevin church. The new cathedral went through dozens of modifications and modernisations.

The history of Manfredonia starts in Siponto, where the Normans had established themselves in 1042. At that time the near mountain ridge "Monte Gargano" was still under Byzantine rule, what changed when in 1052 the Normans won a decisive victory there over the Byzantine troops in 1052. An earthquake in 1223 destroyed Siponto and transformed the landscape into a swamp, where Malaria occurred. Siponto was abandoned and Manfred, son of Emperor Frederic II, laid the foundation stone for a new city in 1256, which he gave his name to. Manfred still commissioned the construction of the fortress but did not see it completed. He fell in the Battle of Benevento in 1266 when his force was defeated by the army of Charles of Anjou, what ended the rule of the House of Staufer in Southern Italy. The Anjou completed the fortress and renamed the city "Sypontum Novellum", to erase the memory of Manfred, but the new name was ultimately unsuccessful. When Manfredonia was conquered and looted by Ottoman Turks in 1620, the city was set on fire and razed to the ground, leaving only the fortress and the city walls.