Castel del Monte

From Andria it is another 18km/11mi to the Castel del Monte or Casteldelmonte (540m/1,782ft), the most imposing Hohenstaufen castle in Italy, built about 1240 as a hunting lodge for Frederick II, probably to his own design. The massive limestone structure, in Early Gothic style, is an exact octagon, with a beautiful courtyard and eight towers; on each floor there are eight rooms of the same size, which originally had rich marble decoration. The rooms on the upper floor, with particularly fine windows, are believed to have been the emperor's apartments. Later the castle served as the prison of his grandsons, the sons of Manfred. From the roof there are panoramic views extending as far as Monte Gargano.