Castel
dell 'Ovo
Built on the small
island of Megaride, which
it is said the place where the Mermaid Partenope
got entangled, Castel dell'Ovo
rises up in the centre of the gulf, between the marina of Mergellina
and the Borgo Marinaro, a
short distance from the Villa Comunale.
It was the place where the Cumani founded the first part of the city
during the 6th century BC.
In Roman times the site was occupied by the Castrum Lucullum, a
fort belonging to the Roman patrician, Lucius
Licinus Lucullus, an immensely rich man .
In this place St. Patrizia sheltered from
his uncle, emperor of Eastern; the Duke Sergio's
soldiers expelled the monks to built a garrison and, during the
centuries which followed, the Normans
and the Angevins extended and fortified
the tuff building.
The castle was the royal residence of Charles I
of Anjou and of Alfonso of Aragon
and in the 17th century it was converted into a prison
where was imprisoned also Romolo Augustolo,
the last Roman Emperor, the monk and philosopher Tommaso
Campanella, the Princess of Acaja,
the King Manfredi's son and several
liberals among them was Francesco de Sanctis.
The castle is well worth visiting. Note especially the bastions
constructed in yellow tuff, the Monks' Refectory
and the splendid view of the gulf from the terraces on the upper
levels, taking in the promontory of Posillipo
and the island of Capri which rises up in front of it.
According to a medieval legend, the Roman poet Virgil,
who in ancient times was considered a powerful wizard, hid an egg
inside a jug hanging in one of the rooms of the castle. Tradition has
it that when the egg falls and breaks, the castle and the entire city
will fall to ruin.
The interior of the fortress contains medieval structures and includes
examples of both Gothic style and much older remains, such as the
ruins of a place of worship named after San
Salvatore.
Also worthy of note are the Torre Maestra
(Master Tower) and the Torre Normandia (Normandy
Tower).
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