| The castle dominates the modern town centre and the surrounding area, from the highest spot of the medieval hamlet. The oldest part of the fortified structure is formed by the quadrangular tower, built around the 11th century, under the Norman dominion. The castle was refurbished by the Swabians and by the Angevins between the 12th and the 13th century, and it owes its present look to the expansions which took place in the course of the centuries. During the 15th century, the duke Francesco Sanseverino commissioned the erection of the great square tower which soars up on the other buildings, with its 34 metres height. The powerful stronghold, with the crenellated coping, is endowed with loopholes and machicolations. The defence system was completed by bastions with three circular towers. The access to the wide internal courtyard of the castle is through an ogival arched portal, with a Gothic vault. On the top, an epigraph reminds of one of the main authors of the fortress and, presumably, the date of the end of the works: DEGLI SANSEVERINI FABRIZIO 1492. Fabrizio Sanseverino also commissioned the construction of an underground passage linked to piazza Vecchia, where it is still visible the coat-of-arms marking the exit door. As from the 16th century, the traditional, functional passage of the castle, turned from fortress to noble abode, needed further structural alterations. The castle gained a greater splendour thanks to husband and wife Giovanni and Aurelia Sanseverino, who were succeeded by their son Gianciacomo, and then by their grandson Ferrante, who ceded the feud to the Lubrano Family in 1632. As well as the tower, the present-day duke’s apartments, which clearly lean on the pre-existing and older part overlooking the parvis of the church, were erected on behest of the Sanseverino Family; this is witnessed by the various windows overlooking the atrium, which is in a different style, a plain sign of extensions and remodelling during later stages. The Lubranos lived in Ceglie for a generation: when Diego Lubrano’s wife Isabella di Noirot died, the duke sold the feud to Luigi Sisto y Britto, the first duke of Ceglie by this name. The Sisto y Britto Family kept their power in Ceglie until 1862, when their possessions and title went to the Marquis Luigi Verusio, who then became the duke of Ceglie. |