One of the interesting features of the common euro coinage is that, while all of the countries share coins with a common design on one side, they have chosen distinctly different designs for the other side. In the case of Italy, the three smallest denomination coins depict iconic buildings. The 5 cent coin depicts perhaps the most recognizable structure in all of Italy, if not the world. It is the Colosseum in Rome. As discussed in a prior post, the 2 cent coin depicts the spire atop the Mole in Turin. We visited there this fall on our school’s northern swing. People from other parts of the world might not know what it is, but it is easily recognized by any Italian. Finally, the 1 cent coin depicts the Castel del Monte. As an avid coin collector, it was then with great anticipation that I awaited our stop there near the end of our trip.
The building was constructed during the 1240’s under the orders of Frederick II. Frederick was quite the builder, completing dozens of castles across his empire. Due to his Germanic origins, they are referred to as the Schwabian Castles. Many were repurposed from other buildings, but some, like this one, were purpose built from the ground up. There is a great deal of speculation as to the purpose of the building. While it is referred to as a “castle”, it never had a moat and appears to have had few, if any, defensive features. It is equally unlikely that it was meant as a long term dwelling as it lacks the infrastructure necessary in such buildings. Some speculate that, due to its size, it was meant as a hunting lodge. Unless other sources are uncovered over time, the question will remain without a definitive answer.
What we do know is that it is a near perfect, regular octagon. The length of each side differs by no more than a few inches along any wall. At each vertex of the main octagon is a smaller octagonal tower.
The building was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its aesthetic and cultural appeal. In the 18th century the building fell into disrepair. Vandals stripped it of its marble facing and most of its ornaments. At one point herders sheltered there with their flocks. The building was purchased by the Italian state in 1876 and, after much debate, was restored to its current form beginning in 1928. The interior is devoid of decoration, making it relatively uninteresting, but there are remnants of fireplaces on the upper floors
and even a “bathroom” in one of the small towers.
Many people feel that the castle was the inspiration for a similar castle in Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose.
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