Description
The Castle, in its initial configuration, dating back to the late 15th century, had a quadrilateral (right-angled trapezoid) shape, with four Rondelle (circular towers) at the corners, the one facing the sea being the most prominent, as often depicted in treatises by Francesco di Giorgio Martini.
The configuration we see today is the result of constant modifications to the fortress throughout the 16th century, dictated by the continuous evolution and refinement of firearms. It is bordered on all sides by a deep moat, which is crossed at the entrance by a bridge, now with a stone arch and wooden deck, probably originally a drawbridge. A narrow corridor leads directly into the ground-floor atrium. Walking through it, you can see the thickening of the façade, completed in the early 16th century. All the rooms on this floor, built against the external curtain walls and with a rectangular or square plan, overlook the internal courtyard and are covered by vaulted ceilings.
Outside the original quadrilateral are two spaces, undoubtedly among the most representative of the entire structure: the triangular and rectangular rooms. The triangular room was created during the mid-16th-century expansions, when the bastion between the two Rondelles was added to the exterior. Particularly striking is the vaulted ceiling of this room, defined by the intersection of three Carparo stone pavilion claddings that follow the unique shape of the room.
The De Azevedo Chapel
The chapel on the ground floor is partially frescoed and contains various frames and epigraphs, including those from the tomb of Donna Teresa De Azevedo, who died on February 23, 1707. Her husband, Don Francesco de la Serna e Molina, lord of the castle at the time, dedicated a tender epigraph to her, describing her as "an example of modesty, a goddess of beauty, a model of honesty, a descendant of Spanish heroes."
The Underground
Beneath the ground floor lies a maze of tunnels, galleries, and small rooms, known as the "underground" system. These are highly evocative spaces of great historical value, having remained unchanged since their construction, dating back to the original structure in the late 15th century. Only a few passages have undergone minor transformations and expansions with the development of firearms in the 16th century.
The basement is where it's easiest to understand the different phases of the Castle's construction: the initial construction in the late 15th century, the linings and reinforcements of the curtain walls and some rondelles in the early 16th century, the addition of the triangular bastion in the mid-16th century, and, finally, the construction of the seaward strut in the late 16th century. A covered stone staircase and an external stone staircase lead to the first-floor gallery, which provides access to a series of rooms that largely mirror the layout and layout of the ground floor. From this level, however, access is gained to the interior of the three rondelles still present at the corners.
At the heart of the rondelles, protected by a thick external curtain wall, are circular rooms covered by hemispherical domes of Carparo stone. These contained bombards and cannons aimed at the firing ports, which connected to the exterior. The roofs housed the patrol paths, protected by very thick walls with slits for gun emplacements. Both on the external curtain walls and inside the atrium are several coats of arms of sovereigns and nobles who played a key role in the Castle's history.
Particularly interesting is the one above the entrance door, featuring the sculpted coat of arms of Emperor Charles V.
In 2013, during preliminary work to convert the Castle into a museum, a hypogeum was discovered. Specifically, it is a chamber carved into the rock beneath the atrium floor. Only two upper arches, a series of incisions and depictions on the walls, clearly of Christian origin, including crosses (both Greek and Latin), and iconographic figures, are visible in a space more than half a meter deep. At the time of the discovery, it was assumed that the area was built on a Messapian settlement and represented a vestige of the early Christian period, but the images on the walls appear to provide evidence for that later date, formally placing the cavity in a time frame close to the 11th century, and therefore, in the Middle Ages.
Permanent Exhibition "Prehistoric Places and the Deer Cave"
On the top floor, the permanent exhibition "Prehistoric Places and the Deer Cave" offers a unique insight into approximately 250 archaeological finds selected from the 1970-1971 excavations by the Archaeological Superintendency. The tour unfolds through a series of six rooms, where visitors can even experience the evocative experience of a virtual entrance into the Deer Cave through a 3D view with special glasses.
The fortress is the setting for the first Gothic novel in history: The Castle of Otranto, by Horace Walpole (1764).
PRICES - Full price ticket €3.00 - Reduced price ticket €2.00
OPENING HOURS: Open daily 10am-1pm and 3pm-6pm
Source: Municipality of Otranto