Castello Normanno - Svevo

The Swabian Castle was built in Bari by the Norman King Roger II in the 12 century. The original fortress was destroyed later in the 12th century. What exists today dates to the 13th century (with repairs and alterations made over the centuries by successive owners). The 13th century reconstruction was done by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Legend has it that Frederick II met St. Francis of Assisi here.
The building is now mainly used as an exhibition space.
The 1st picture is looking down on a model of the castle. The oldest part is the trapezoidal building with towers. This is the Norman- Swabian building. The outer walls were added about the time artillery developed.
The 2nd picture looks at the outer walls and the moat that surrounds the castle on all sides except where it abuts the sea. The 3rd picture is one of the bastions, this one facing toward the city.
The 4th picture is in one of the ground floor rooms, while the 5th and 6th are rooms on the 1st floor. All 3 give a sense of the structures, but the spaces, especially those upstairs, have been adapted to serve as modern exhibition space.Read more