Castello Carlo V

Lecce's Charles V Castle is a sixteenth-century fortress built around an older medieval core. Four bastions, two courtyards and the remains of earlier towers show how the stronghold was transformed for the age of artillery.

Why it matters

Charles V commissioned the new fortifications, designed by Giangiacomo dell'Acaya and built from 1537 to about 1550. The project enveloped an earlier castle in walls and bastions, creating one of the major Renaissance military structures of the region. Today the castle also houses collections that connect Lecce's Roman and craft histories with the building's earlier military use.

What to notice

Four corner bastions define the fortress's angular plan. The Torre Magistra and Torre Mozza belong to the earlier castle, documented by the fourteenth century, and were incorporated into the new works. The main hall is dedicated to Maria d'Enghien-Brienne, countess of Lecce and briefly queen of Naples. Reconstructive models of the Roman theatre and amphitheatre of Lupiae are displayed in the former kitchen area, while the former stables house the Museo della Cartapesta.

Context and history

The site's earlier history includes a residence of the counts of Lecce in the mid-twelfth century under Norman rule. The Aragonese period added towers and underground spaces. In the sixteenth century, dell'Acaya's design gave the castle its four bastions and expanded enclosure. The moat was filled in 1872. The building later served as a military barracks and returned to civic use in the late twentieth century. It joined the state museums of Puglia in 2023. Dell'Acaya died in the castle's prison in December 1570.