The Castle still stands imposingly on a hilltop to the north of Gravina. Fond of falconry, Emperor Federick II commissioned the Florentine architect, Fuccio, to build a castle for him and his court to use when hunting in 1224.
He would refer to Gravina as the Garden of Delights for its vast forests and the fertility of the land, which produced grain and olives.
Built of local ‘tufo’ stone, the rectangular construction measured 58 x 29m and featured four towers and three floors with various underground rooms. Today, only part of the perimeter and basement walls are left standing.
The Castle was owned by the Duke Orsini until 1806 when it was bought by Baron Pomarci Santomasi. In 1917, Baron Ettore Pomarici Santomasi donated it to the Municipality of Gravina along with numerous other properties.
Apulia Film Commission
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