Naples (Castel Nuovo)

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Shortened history of the castle:

The castle was built in 1279 under order of Charles I of Anjou to house courts of the brand new Kingdom of Naples.

Castel Nuovo became soon the nucleus of the historical center of the city, and was often the site of famous events. For example, on December 13, 1294, Pope Celestine V resigned as pope in a hall of the castle.

Under king Robert (reigned from 1309), the castle was enlarged and embellished, becoming a centre of patronage of art. In 1347 Castel Nuovo was sacked by the army of Louis I of Hungary, and had to be heavily restored after the return of queen Joanna I. The new works permitted the queen to resist the Hungarian siege during Louis' second expedition.

Under the Aragonese dynasty, begun by Alfonso V in 1442, the fortress was updated to resist the new artillery. A famous triumphal arch, designed by Francesco Laurana, was added to the main gate to celebrate Alfonso's entrance in Naples.

In a hall of the castle the famous Barons conspiracy against King Ferdinand I, Alfonso's son, occurred. The King had invited the barons for a feast; but, a certain point, he had the garrison close all the hall's doors and all the barons were arrested and later executed.

The Kingdom was annexed to Spain in 1494 and the castle was reduced to a residence for the Spanish kings during their visits in the city.

The last restoration of Castel Nuovo was in 1823.

Opening times and additional information:

Free visit