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There is also the Tramontano Castle of Matera, among the 25 sites in Italy (10 castles, 4 forts, 1 tower, 1 stronghold), which will be open to visitors for free next weekend (11-12 May) as part of the ” National Castle Days”, now in their 25th edition. The initiative, carried out by the Italian Castle Institute in collaboration with the Municipality of Matera and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, is part of a project to enhance and promote the ancient Matera manor, with a view to greater tourist usability. The mayor, Domenico Bennardi, gave the news with the Heritage Councilor Angela Mazzone. Between Saturday and Sunday, free guided tours will take place with the architecture taking center stage, described in different states of conservation, use, destination and valorization. A journey through time, made possible by the Istituto Italiano dei Castelli (IiC), a scientific non-profit organization founded in 1964 by Piero Gazzola which this year celebrates 60 years of activity, dedicated to protecting and enhancing Italian fortified architecture of every era, style, size and state of conservation. Located at the top of the Lapilli hill, the Aragonese-style Tramontano castle overlooks the city and will also be the venue for a conference open to the public on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the IiC. The castle of Matera is closely linked to the events of Count Giancarlo Tramontano, an ambitious businessman of Campania origins who became baron and subsequently count of Matera in the 15th century. The construction of the castle, started between 1501 and 1503, testifies to the count’s desire to consolidate his power over the city. However, the tense relations with the people of Matera, also due to tax policies considered oppressive, led to the castle being considered as a fortification against the city rather than for it. The assassination of Count Tramontano in December 1514 abruptly interrupted the construction work, leaving the castle unfinished. Despite this, Tramontano Castle remains a symbol of power and ambition, as well as a testimony to Renaissance military architecture. «An important initiative – comment Bennardi and Mazzone – which goes in the direction of enhancing and making the castle accessible, representing a sort of experimentation of the municipal project of having visitors visit our ancient manor all year round».
