Castle Carlo V and its legend

During a rainy day of December the M. O. L. editorial staff “Fiori di carta” finds itself in front of the “Royal Door” to meet with Dr. Leo, the guide that will accompany us during our course. In 1539 emperor Carlo V D’Asburgo emanated the order to demolish the old princely bulwark, dating back to Middle Ages, to build a new fortress, with military architecture techniques. The job was entrusted to Gian Giacomo dell’Acaya, engineer of Napoli’s reign. The shape of the building is quadrangular and has four corners, from which the four ramparts rise. Going from west to east we see: the rampart said of Santa Croce, that of San Martino, of San Giacomo, and of Santa Trinità. Its shape reproduces that of fortifications but with a new modern concept: that of enclosing the curtain, that is a rectilinear wall, between the two ramparts. This new concept of military architecture was employed to fortify the posterior side from possible attacks that came from the near coast of the Adriatic sea. The royal door was protected by San Martino and Santa Croce ramparts; while on the posterior side there is the “Fake door or rescue door”, both adorned with Habsburg imperial coat of arms. The castle was completely surrounded by a moat, today removed from successive structures.
Legend: there are various legends on Carlo V castle: from the crying of the child fallen in a water well, to the soul of Maria D’Enghien that “returns”; however it particularly fascinated me that of G. Giacomo of Acaya. It’s told that the engineer Gian Giacomo of Acaya was locked up in the dungeons of the castle, and on the walls were found some graffiti that represent the traces of his imprisonment. It’s told that during the night, from the dungeons of the castle some lament is heard and it’s supposed that it is the soul of Gian Giacomo that would like to find his freedom.

Andrea Monferrini, Claudio Ferraro