All Castles in Matera

Castello Tramontano is an imposing castle located on the Lapillo Hill, overlooking the historical city center of Matera.   SHORT HISTORY Although the new King of Naples, Ferdinand II, promised to the Materans that he will not give the town to another feudal lord, the Count Giovan Carlo Tramontano obtained Matera and the surrounding area in 1496. The castle, with a large central tower and two small ones on the sides, was built by the count, in Aragonese style, starting with 1501. In debt, the count collected numerous taxes from the population, and became unpopular to the people of Matera. For the construction of the castle were spent as many as 25,000 ducats, and this weighed even more on the population. Tired of the continuous abuses, some citizens murdered the tyrant on December 29, 1514, as he was leaving the Cathedral of Matera, in a street which was later eloquently called Via della Riscatto (Street of Redemption). The castle remained unfinished. Since 2008, the castle, together with the surrounding park, is undergoing restoration.   HOW TO GET THERE Castello Tramontano is located about 550 meters away from the Matera Centrale railway station and about 300 meters from the Piazza Vittorio Read more [...]