Visiting Federico II's castle in Melfi

In the city of Melfi, a town that was born near the Vulture, an inactive volcano inside which there are the Monticchio lakes, two large bodies of water that have transformed the barren volcanic landscape into a protected forest, home to multiple species of fauna and flora.

Melfi is a medieval village where one of Frederick II's castles is located, a masterpiece of masonry architecture, dating back to the 12th century AD, an imposing work that was born on the top of a hill, an ideal place to have a excellent view of the surrounding area, in order to be able to prepare for battle in the event of an enemy attack and warn the citizens living just outside the walls.

The castle of Melfi, having undergone numerous construction phases over time, presents a multi-stylistic architectural form, although it has retained its purely medieval appearance. It is composed of ten towers, seven of which are rectangular and three pentagonal. Access to the castle is guaranteed by a stone fiaso bridge, although it was initially made of wood and a drawbridge, a large moat surrounds the castle, probably in the past it had been filled with water using artificial canals. In fact, here the water is abundant and comes from the Apennine chain not far away.

The interior of the castle has undergone many changes and renovations over time: the castle, once the residence of King Frederick II, has been inhabited over the centuries by noble families who have profoundly modified its internal structure, creating new buildings and rooms underground, which have now become a museum in which the remains of man's life over over a millennium are collected.

It is always a great mystery to understand how it was possible to design and build complex and long-lasting works a thousand years ago. Every single stone, from the city walls to that of the main entrance, was not placed randomly but respects rigorous engineering rules, the perspective is guaranteed by careful analysis in the design of the castle.

The wonder of seeing a work of great historical value, immersed in verdant nature, in the silence that only the mountains can transmit, interrupted rather by the incessant human column of visitors, who come from everywhere to visit the castle of Melfi.

My suggestion is to visit the city and the castle during the chestnut festival, an event that takes place annually at the end of October and the city transforms into a big party, food, music and fun are guaranteed for all the days of the festival.