9. Castel de Monte
Andria, Italy’s Castel de Monte (which is Italian for “Castle of the Mountain”) was built in the 13thcentury by Roman Emperor Frederick II. The castle was looted several times, and there weren’t much treasures left in it when it was restored by the Italian government in the early 1900s. In the 18th century, the remaining furniture in the castle and the interior marble were removed. Castel de Monte doesn’t have a drawbridge, so some conclude that the castle was never intended for defensive fortress purposes. Archaeological work on the castle, however, reveals that originally, Castel de Monte had a curtain wall. The Enciclopedia Italiana described Castel de Monte as “the most fascinating castle built by Frederick II”, and is now a World Heritage Site.
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