Mastio circolare (Torre dei Falchi)

The Circular Keep, known as Torre dei Falchi, is the most prominent surviving structure of Casertavecchia's castle. Built during the thirteenth-century Swabian rebuilding, its cylindrical form and unusual scale distinguish it among the hill village's medieval remains.

Why it matters

The keep measures about 30 metres high and 19.14 metres in diameter, with three vaulted levels, according to the Comune di Caserta. The municipal account connects its commission with the di Lauro family and the marriage of Riccardo di Lauro to Violante, daughter of Frederick II, in 1246. Its circular design is compared with the Federician towers of Capua.

What to notice

The tower's scale is clearest in the unbroken curve of its drum. Its former entrance was reached from the castle by a drawbridge, while a stair within the thick wall connected upper levels and a trapdoor gave access to the lower chamber. The tower stands within the castle ruins above the borgo, part of the fortified landscape of the Tifatini ridge.

Context and history

The circular keep belongs to the Swabian remodelling of a castle whose earlier Norman phase included a keep and square towers. The name Torre dei Falchi is attached to the monument in local accounts, though the sources do not establish a specific falconry use. The fortress lost its military role after the Aragonese arrival in 1442, and the keep survives as a ruin within the hilltop complex.