Castello Tramontano — Attraction in Matera

The Tramontano Castle is situated on a hill near the town center of Matera Italy. The hill, called Lapillo Hill, overlooks the historic city of Matera. The 15th-century castle was left unfinished after the unpopular Count Tramontano was killed by Matera's townsmen.

The castle, with a male central and two lateral towers that are round, scalloped and have slits, was built starting in1501 by Count Gian Carlo Tramontano, feudal lord of Matera. The count was quickly unpopular with the people because with the passage of time he became steeped in debt and to meet such debt he began heavily taxing the population. At that time construction of the castle on the hill began in order to control the "feudal" lands surrounding it more so than for the defense of the city. It appears that the building should have included other defensive towers, one of which was found in the central Piazza Vittorio Veneto of Matera along with other underground sites. It was that some citizens, tired of constant harassment, gathered hidden behind a boulder, which was thereafter called the Stone of Bad Advice, organized the murder of the Count of Matera. On 29 December 1514, the Count, just out of the Cathedral, was assassinated on a side street, which was subsequently eloquently named Way...

The castle is situated on a hill, called the lapel hill, above the historical centre of Matera.

In Aragonese style, the castle, with a central male and two lower side towers, one and the other round, scalloped and equipped with loops, was built from 1501 by Giovanni Carlo Tramontano, Count of Matera. The new king of Naples, Ferdinand II, had promised the Materrani not to give the city to any more feudal lords, after that this had already freed itself several times from the feudal yoke paying various ransoms in order to remain free city to autonomous regiment, that is directly dependent on the Crown. Instead the Count sets, which boasted claims against the royal treasury, asked and obtained the Matera...

While the castle itself is visually impressive, I personally felt that visiting it was not the best use of my time. 🥲

The surrounding area is poorly maintained and lacks proper accessibility, which takes away from the experience. It’s important to note that visitors are not allowed inside the castle—entry is blocked, and the entrance appears neglected. 🥺

As a result, we couldn’t explore the interior. The area could benefit from better organization to enhance the visitor experience. That said, since it’s close to the city center, you could still include it in your itinerary for a quick 5–10 minute stop to admire...