Castel Capuano General Project

Castel Capuano, so called for its proximity to Porta Capuana, the ancient gate whose road led to Capua, overlooking the Decumano Superiore (Via dei tribunali) and Piazza Enrico de Nicola, in the historic city center.

Castel Capuano is the second oldest castle in Naples after Castel dell'Ovo and its construction dates back to the twelfth century for the will of the son of Roger the Norman: Gugliemo il Malo.

It was immediately destined to be a royal residence although it looked more like a military garrison because of its austere appearance.

In 1231 it was transformed by Frederick II of Swabia, who gave it a more similar appearance to a Royal Palace.

The construction in the Angevin period of Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) as a royal residence, Castel Capuano was reduced to a residence for members of the royal family and, sometimes, in residence for officials of the kingdom and illustrious personalities, such as Francesco Petrarca.

In the Aragonese period it played a marginal role and underwent various renovations.

Thanks to the viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo was destined for the Palace of Justice, bringing together all the judicial offices scattered throughout the city.

To adapt it to the new function, the castle was transformed: all the military structures were eliminated and it was modified in its internal spaces, while the basements were destined to prison with fully equipped torture chambers.

The castle was then called "Palazzo della Vicaria", since the Vicar of the Kingdom presided over the government of the judiciary.

Almost nothing of the original construction is currently preserved due to the many restorations and remakes.

On the entrance portal there is a plaque showing two important events: the victory of Charles V in the Tunis expedition and the date 1540, the year in which the fortress was transformed into the seat of the Courts at the behest of Don Pedro de Toledo.

Above the plaque there is the Royal Coat of Arms of the Spaniards, a large double-headed eagle, and columns of Hercules paired with the motto Plus ultra. Higher up is the Savoy Coat of Arms, affixed after the Unification of Italy, when the Castle was restored and replaced an ancient Bourbon Coat of Arms which recalled an ancient remaking of the Castle.

At the top is the Clock, installed in 1858. At the entrance, on the right, there is a fluted column believed to be part of the Colonna della Vicaria, famous for a self-punishment ceremony for debtors.

The debtor had to be tied to the column, embrace it, and with his trousers completely lowered, proclaim the transfer of his assets to his creditor according to a precise formula.

The column was also famous because here the dead bodies of unknown people were exposed at the base of the column so that someone, passing by, could identify them.

Often the unrecognized corpse remained there even several days. Also at the entrance there is a stone in honor of Dr. Vincenzo Calenda dei Tavani, author of a work of persuasion not to abandon Castel Capuano as a court of law.

Other seven marble slabs indicated the rates and the cost of justice at the time.

After passing the entrance you get at the courtyard, a meeting place between lawyers, defendants, judges, witnesses, businessmen and simple citizens who waited for the results of the trials.

The courtyard, surrounded by a portico supported by Doric pillars, is accessed via stairs to the interior of the Castle.

On the landing there are two stones erected in honor of Charles III of Bourbon.

The landing you reach the Hall of the Court of Appeal and the Hall of Busts,

famous because inside there are the marble effigies of the most illustrious lawyers who have worked there over the centuries.

On the walls of the Hall of the Court of Appeal, formerly covered by tapestries,

we find twelve female figures each depicting a province of the kingdom, with coat of arms and name.