History, art and culture
Some historical notes on Andria, the city of the Swabian Dynasty
Theory would have it that the city was founded by the Greek hero Diomedes, but this is not substantiated by historical evidence.
Archaeological research however confirms that the outpost of Rudae was near Andria, on the Trajan way around which the medieval town and churches sprang up.
In 1046, Peter the Norman, Count of Trani, girdled the hamlets dotted around the countryside with defensive walls, raising Andria to the rank of “civitas”.
In the 12th century, the town passed under Swabian rule. The Emperor Frederick Il held the city in great esteem for the loyalty it demonstrated during the rebellion following his excommunication by Pope Gregory IX. Near the town stands the superb Castel del Monte and it is said that the earthly remains of the Emperor’s wives Iolanda, Brienne and Elizabeth of England are preserved in the cathedral crypt.
His son, Corrado IV of Swabia, later to be Emperor, was born in Andria.
After defeating Manfredi at Benevento in 1266, Andria passed to the Angevins, first becoming a County and then a Duchy with Francesco I Del Balzo.
Following the discovery of the relics of St Richard, the city’s patron saint, Francesco II Del Balzo in 1438 established a fair that is still held every April to this day.
In 1507, the Duchy of Andria was donated by Ferdinand the Catholic to Consalvo of Cordoba as a token of gratitude for his support in the battle against the French.
In 1522, together with Castel del Monte, it was acquired by the Count of Ruvo, Fabrizio Carafa. On 22 February 1556, Antonio Carafa, the son of Fabrizio was conferred the title of Duke of Adria by king Phillip II of Spain.
On a Holy Saturday, 23 March 1799, the French army from the Parthenopean Republic led by general Broussier and Hector Carafa besieged and destroyed Andria that had remained loyal to the Bourbons. After the tragic end to the Napoleonic revolution, King Ferdinand had Hector Carafa executed in Naples. The brief period of Murat’s rule saw the abolition of feudalism and confiscation of ecclesiastical property.
Andria however remained loyal to the Bourbons. Following this, the town followed the events of the Risorgimento.
Castel del Monte
A feature that is very much characteristic of Castel del Monte is the repeated use of the number eight and the octagonal layout. The castle was built around 1240 on the orders of Frederick II of Swabia.
There are eight trapezoid-shaped rooms both on the ground and first floors that overlook the octagonal courtyard at each corner of which is located an eight-sided tower.
The castle stands proud and solitary on a rocky summit overlooking the Murge hills. Its octagonal shape also forms the courtyard that is opened on to at the lower level by single arched openings. The single Gothic opening at ground level is the only opening facing Andria, the city that Frederick II held dear for its constant loyalty.
The castle is noted for the blending of coexisting of cultures that while in essence very different from one another, blended perfectly together and this integration reflects the many sides of Frederick II’s personality. Reminders of the Romanesque past are to be seen in the lions protruding from the gateway and the Gothic is brought to mind by the ogives between gateways and vaulted arches, by the capitals and the fine intermingling of the expressionism of the telamons and the tower corbels. Classical influences are found in the friezes and cornices of the doors-windows facing on to the courtyard, in the acanthus leaves on some of the marble capitals and in the gateway layout. The remains of the floor mosaic in the 8th room on the ground floor would suggest Muslim influence.
An ingenious solution was found for covering the sixteen trapezoid-shaped rooms. The area was divided into a central span that was square-shaped and cross-vaulted with two keystones, non-load bearing supports and two lateral triangles closed with barrel ogives. The huge fireplaces of which little remains were used more for heating than for cooking.
Many different materials were used in building the castle: limestone on the outer walls, breccia corallina for the entrance/exit and the gateways, marble on the three-sided columns on the ground floor. The walls of the rooms were probably covered with slabs of breccia corallina and marble.
Three spiral staircases led to the upper rooms that at one time communicated by means of a suspended catwalk positioned over the courtyard at first floor level. Another very interesting point is the presence of numerous bathrooms that were very common at that time in the Arab world but extremely rare in the West.
Castel del Monte is radically different from other Swabian castles that are very numerous in Puglia. It even today intrigues scholars who remain uncertain about what its purpose really was.
Although lacking some of the key elements typical to a mediaeval military stronghold such as a moat and drawbridge, the castle’s geographical positioning perched on a hilltop commanding an excellent field of vision may have had an important role in strategic defence. It is perhaps comparable to the chain of watchtowers that lined the coasts and communicated with inland defence positions.
It is also abundantly clear that Frederick II wanted Castel del Monte to carry a strong symbolic message that reflected the importance of the Empire.
The cultural content on the other hand was a strong reflection of the multi-faceted character of an enlightened king that shared among his interests such matters as mathematics, poetry, philosophy and astronomy. He was ahead of his time in recognising renaissance concepts and these particular characteristics led to him being called “Stupor Mundi” the (wonder of the world).
UNESCO INSCRIPTION
Castel del Monte
Inscription N° 398Rev. 1996 C (i) (ii) (iii)
The Committee decided to inscribe the nominated property on the basis of cultural criteria (i), (ii) and (iii) considering that the site is of outstanding universal value in its formal perfection and its harmonious blending of cultural elements from northern Europe, the Muslim world, and classical antiquity.
Castel del Monte is a unique masterpiece of medieval military architecture, reflecting the humanism of its founder, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen.
