Castel del Monte, whose name translates as "the castle on the mountain", stands in the town of Andria in the Italian region of Puglia. Once he had the name of Castrum Santa Maria del Monte, because it was built on the site of a former monastery of St. Mary on the hill. However, by the time of the erection of the castle in the mid 13th century, from the monastery's nothing left.

The construction of the castle was started by Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of Frederick II and lasted for about ten years. In 1250, the year the powerful construction was finished, although the interior decoration continued.

Having the shape of a regular octagon Castel del Monte is located 16 km from the town of Andria, in a place which is called Terra di Bari – Bari Land. The corners are built the same octagonal tower. The height of the castle reaches 25 meters, the length of the wall – 16, 5 meters and the width of the walls of the towers – 3, 1 meter. The main entrance is located on the East side and the West have a spare portal. An interesting feature of the castle is that the two sides of the side of the tower in contact with one side of the main building.

I must say that the two-storey Castel del Monte is actually not a castle in every sense of the word, because it has no moat, ramparts and drawbridge. Not here and warehouses, stables, and a separate kitchen. Therefore, the purpose of Castel del Monte is still a matter of controversy among scholars. It is generally accepted version is that the castle was the hunting residence of Emperor Frederick II. However, the richly decorated interior of forced scientists to argue further – too lush and elegant it was the decoration of a hunting Lodge.

Inside the castle consists of 16 rooms, eight on each floor. Corner towers occupy the cloakrooms, toilets and spiral staircases, with the latter not twisted to the right and to the left. Interestingly the location of the castle rooms: for example, two bathroom first floor does not have the outputs of the courtyard. Four rooms have only one door, and the halls renovation – 2-3 portal. All the rooms on the second floor throughout the year twice a day are illuminated by sunlight and the rooms of the first floor in the summer. Such a strange design suggests that Castel del Monte was a kind of astronomical instrument: the upper part is a giant sundial, and the first floor serves as a calendar, space which is uniformly covered on the summer and winter solstice. And this is another unsolved mystery of the old castle, which the locals called "Crown of Puglia".