Castel del Monte

Frederick II built this around 1240 on a low hill in the Murge, and its geometry is relentless: an octagonal plan with an octagonal tower at each corner, eight rooms on each of two floors around an octagonal courtyard, the number repeating everywhere. What it was for is unresolved. It has no moat, no drawbridge, no arrow slits of the usual kind, no kitchens or stables, and no stores, which argues against a fortress; theories include a hunting lodge, an astronomical instrument, a symbolic crown and a bath complex, and none is settled. It appears on the Italian one-cent coin and was UNESCO-listed in 1996.

What you actually see

• The eight-sided plan - an octagon with eight octagonal towers.
• The repeating geometry - eight rooms per floor around an eight-sided court.
• The missing features - no moat, kitchens, stables or defensive works.
• The unresolved purpose - competing theories with no accepted answer.

When to go

April to October; a shuttle bus runs from a lower car park in season, as cars are kept away from the castle itself. The interior is bare, so allow an hour.

Honest expectations

The interior is completely empty with no furnishings or displays. Access is via a shuttle or a walk uphill. There is little shade on the approach.

Nearby

Trani lies northeast; the Murge plateau surrounds it.