Itinerary among the Aragonese castles in Calabria

A witness to an important period in the city's medieval history, the Aragonese Castle of Reggio Calabria (9th-11th century) occupies the upper part of the historic centre. It is open to visitors every day and hosts exhibitions and cultural events. Although known as 'Aragonese', the building has much older origins: it was already a key point for the defence of the territory of Palaiapolis (the city founded in the 8th century BC by the Chalcidians). in Roman times, the walls were abandoned and then rebuilt under Emperor Justinian I. The documented existence of a real castle in Reggio Calabria dates back to 536 and saw the Normans and Angevins pass through its gates. When can it be counted among the Aragonese castles of Calabria? From 1450 onwards, when, during the Spanish era, the fortress was adapted to the evolution of siege engines and gunpowder artillery: two large circular crenellated towers were added, the only visible evidence still visible today, a ravelin and a moat on the ancient Orangi stream. Conquered by Garibaldi, the castle of Reggio Calabria was stripped of its oldest part.

The journey through the Aragonese castles in Calabria continues up the Tyrrhenian coast along the Costa degli Dei, in the province of Vibo Valentia, in the seaside village of Pizzo, where the so-called Murat Castle stands. This is one of the most authentic Aragonese castles in Calabria, as it was built by Ferdinand I of Aragon in the second half of the 15th century. It stands in the historic centre, in a small square offering views of the famous Tyrrhenian sunsets. The building has a quadrangular layout with two cylindrical corner towers, the larger of which, Master Tower, dates back to the Angevin period (1380). Why is it known as Murat Castle? It was in its halls that the King of Naples, Joachim Murat, Napoleon Bonaparte's brother-in-law, was shot. In a last-ditch attempt to reconquer the kingdom, Murat landed in Pizzo on 8 October 1815, where he was captured and sentenced to death. This important historical event is reconstructed inside the castle, in the rooms of the Murattiano Museum, and through a four-yearly historical re-enactment organised by the Gioacchino Murat Cultural Association, which stages the king's landing and subsequent capture and execution.

Almost all of the Aragonese castles in Calabria are defensive fortresses overlooking the sea, recognisable by their large circular crenellated towers. The Aragonese Castle of Belvedere Marittimo, a seaside village on the Tyrrhenian coast of Cosenza, is no exception! This famous seaside resort, also known as the "City of Love" because of the relics of St. Valentine kept in the Capuchin Convent, finds its architectural symbol in the large castle that dominates the town: a full-fledged Aragonese manor, which nevertheless stands on a previous Norman fortress, in a strategic and panoramic position. It became one of the Aragonese castles in Calabria after its renovation in 1490 by King Ferdinand of Aragon, who added the crenellated walls. The two watchtowers, Paolo Emilio Tower and Santa Litterata Tower, remain from the original structure, as do the unmistakable ramparts.

Remaining in the province of Cosenza, but far from the sea, in the Pollino National Park, we discover one of the largest, best preserved and most accessible Aragonese castles in Calabria: the Aragonese Castle of Castrovillari. The impregnable "Capital of Pollino" is arranged around its manor, which occupies the oldest part of the historic centre, the Civita district. Built on the remains of an older fortress dating back to the Norman-Swabian era, it was renovated under the King of Naples, Ferdinand I of Aragon, in 1490 and used as a prison. In accordance with the tastes of the famous military engineer Francesco di Giorgio Martini, the fortress was equipped with underground passages, dark corridors, rooms with barrel vaults and secret passages. These features can still be visited today, making Castrovillari Castle one of the most mysterious and fascinating Aragonese castles in Calabria. Although it now hosts exhibitions and events, it was once inhabited by gloomy legends. On the entrance portal, the Aragonese coat of arms bears the phrase "Ad continendos in fides cives": 'to control the territory and ensure the loyalty of the citizens'.

We conclude our itinerary exploring the Aragonese castles in Calabria with a world-famous must-see: the Aragonese Fortress of Le Castella in Isola Capo Rizzuto, in the province of Crotone. We are on the stretch of the Saracen Coast that falls within the "Isola di Capo Rizzuto" Marine Protected Area, a true natural paradise for diving and snorkelling enthusiasts. Right here, on the blue surface of the water, the most famous Aragonese Castle in the region rises like a mirage. The location, known as Le Castella, is a strip of fine sand that has been an open-air film set for years. The current building, of more ancient origins, is Aragonese in style and has an irregular layout, with a cylindrical watchtower accessible by a stone spiral staircase. The history of the Aragonese Castle is intertwined with that of the Turkish invasions of Calabria and the famous pirate Occhialì (Uluç Alì, Le Castella 1519 - Istanbul, 1587): born Giovanni Dionigi Galeni, a child captured on this beach by the pirate Barbarossa in 1536 and raised as a 'renegade', until he himself became an unscrupulous corsair, Governor of Algiers and the only survivor of the Battle of Lepanto. He is commemorated by a bust in the square in front of the castle, renamed Piazza Uccialì.