Europe

[Visited: June 2023]

After arriving at Lamezia Terme airport, I first pass the ancient ruins of Terina, but find them fenced off. From behind the fence, I cannot see anything interesting, so I abandon my plan to climb the fence. Then, I continue driving further northeast, through the town, always going higher. When I reach the other side of town, I see colourful old houses on a hilltop. I get out of my car for a better look, and see a castle on top of the hill. The warm light of the afternoon shines on the houses and the castle, and above it, I see a dark cloud. According to my information, the castle is closed, but I decide to go anyway. The neighbourhood looks nice enough. A few minutes later, I park the car on the side of the road. I see a fence with a gate, but it turns out to be firmly closed. It looks like I can forget to visit the castle.
But you never know, so I enter one of the narrow streets of Nicastro. It is very quiet, it looks like quite a few houses are abandoned, which often is the case in beautiful old towns in Italy. Some houses have laundry outside though. I walk up one of the steep streets, hoping to find a way to enter the old castle, but again, I find a solidly closed gate. Apparently, the fortress is really closed. Back on the main street, I see old black-and-white pictures of the neighbourhood and the people living here. A little further on, several men are outside a bar, having a drink. I cannot understand their dialect. And then, I see the ruins of the castle high above me, towering above the houses of Nicastro. I come to a third gate, which is also closed. I get close to the gate, and take some pictures through the fence. Then, I realize that the lock is rusty. I push the gate, work the lock, and after some time and with some effort, the gate opens. I glance around me, but there is no one around, so I walk in.
After a first exploration around the base of the fortress, I walk to the main entrance. The grass is high - the castle must have been closed for a long time already. The gate is very tall, and I see several rooms next to it while I walk higher up. The inner grounds are covered in grass, and I can now finally see the size of this castle. Its origins are not even known for sure: some claim it was built by the Byzantines in the 9th century, but it is assumed more commonly that the Normans built it in the 11th century after they conquered Nicastro. I walk around the high grass, through one of the smaller openings. Then, I walk up to the donjon, the biggest tower of the Norman-Svevo castle. This must have had commanding views over the castle, the village below, and the plains to the south. The grass is wet here, and my trousers and shoes are soaked when I reach the foot of the tower. I need a lot of imagination for an idea of what this castle must have looked like. It was destroyed by a series of earthquakes. It was definitely built at a strategic location, with steep cliffs and a river below. I wonder how many people come here, and to my surprise, I find a trash bin overflowing with rubbish. The next question is: when will that be emptied? I wander around the castle grounds, feel excited that I have managed to make it inside, and then - it is time to leave. I walk down through the gate of the castle, and when I reach the fence with the rusty lock, I try to close it as good as possible. One last look up the Norman castle of Nicastro, and I am on my way out.

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Norman castle of Nicastro (Italy)

Norman castle of Nicastro > Italy > Europe

[Visited: June 2023]

Around the World in 80 Clicks