Norman-Swabian Castle

The Norman-Swabian Castle of Lamezia Terme, in the province of Catanzaro, is located on the highest part of the historic centre of Nicastro, at the top of the characteristic San Teodoro district, where the ancient Giudecca is also located. Although not open to visitors, the Castle of Lamezia, surrounded by the old village, is one of the most evocative places in the city of Lamezia Terme: it is a veritable panoramic stronghold on the Riviera dei Tramonti, overlooking the Sant'Eufemia Plain. According to some sources, the Norman-Swabian Castle of Lamezia Terme stands on the site of a previous 9th-century Byzantine castrum; it then passed to the Normans and was finally enlarged by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, which is why it is counted among the Frederickian castles in Calabria.

The history of the Norman-Swabian Castle of Lamezia Terme is intertwined with the tragic end of the emperor's “rebellious son”, Henry VII (known as “Lo Sciancàto”), who was imprisoned by his father for two years in this very fortress, under the custody of the castellan Martino d'Ippolito. It seems that Henry VII committed suicide at the age of only 31 (1242) when, travelling along a winding mountain road with his escort, he escaped from their watch and threw himself and his horse off a cliff. Other sources claim that it was Frederick II who had him killed. A more recent version, supported by valid documentation, claims that Henry VII died of natural causes due to an illness contracted in prison. The king's body is still buried in Cosenza Cathedral.