Castello Carlo V (Castle of Charles V), Lecce

Digging around the courtyard, archaeologists discovered that Lecce鈥檚 Castle of Charles V began life as a humble 12th-century Norman stronghold. Next, 1537, and Emperor Charles V himself (when he wasn鈥檛 busy running half of Europe) ordered a fortress face-lift. By 1553, architect Gian Giacomo dell鈥橝caya had woven the old keep into a new curtain wall linking four stout bastions. Today, the Master Tower and the Show Tower still stand guard鈥攕ilent sentinels of ramparts long vanished.

In the transformation, the medieval chapel of the Trinity got modified to make way for cannon openings, and one cozy room even moonlighted as an 18th-century theater. From 1870 to 1979, the castle put on its uniform and oversaw the surroundings as a military post. Now it鈥檚 shed its martial past to become Lecce鈥檚 cultural nerve center. The grand Palace Hall dazzles with stained-glass windows, while upper chambers lean on stone columns like proud athletes.

Legend has it the 14th-century Orsini del Balzo clan kept a white bear in the moat鈥攑robably more myth than beast, but hey, 鈥淥rsini鈥� does mean 鈥渓ittle bear,鈥� so maybe someone just had a very ambitious pet. Either way, today鈥檚 Castle of Charles V invites you to a concert, exhibition, or lecture. It鈥檚 proof that even the mightiest fortress can soften into the town鈥檚 favorite gathering spot.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Lecce. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Castello Carlo V (Castle of Charles V)
Sight Location: Lecce, Italy (See walking tours in Lecce)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Lecce Introduction Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Lecce, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Lecce

Creating your own self-guided walk in Lecce is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Lecce's Baroque Churches Walking Tour

Lecce isn鈥檛 shy about its reputation鈥攊t鈥檚 often called the 鈥淐apital of Baroque,鈥� and one stroll through the old town makes it clear why. This southern Italian city turned its soft local limestone, Lecce stone, into an architect鈥檚 playground. Elaborate fa莽ades, swirling details, and sculptures bursting from the walls made the 17th century feel like one long design competition. And with... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles

Lecce Introduction Walking Tour

German historian Ferdinand Gregorovius called Lecce 鈥渢he Florence of the Baroque era.鈥� The city traces its beginnings around the time of the Trojan Wars, which took place around the 11th century BC. However, it first steps firmly into the record in the 3rd century BC as Lupiae under Roman control. The name is thought to come from lupus, the Latin word for wolf, recalling the animals that once... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

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