Castle Murat (Italy)

Built in the second half of the fifteenth century by Ferdinand I of Aragon, the castle of Pizzo has two cylindrical corner towers, of which the great tower, called mastra tower, is of Angevin origin (about 1380).

The massive quadrangular body, with casemates and ground floors, which descends perpendicular to the cliff on the side of the sea, is on the other side surrounded by a moat, on which the drawbridge and the door, located between one of the round towers, on the west side, and the angled part, they allowed access. The fortress was equipped with walkways that led out of the city and was built in order to defend the coast from the Barbary and "ad maintenendos cives in fide".
When the "land of the Pizzo" passed from the house of Aragon to that of the Sanseverinos and to these confiscated in 1504 for a crime of felony, it was given to Don Diego de Mendoza, general of the Galee; and from him, by inheritance right of succession, said goods passed to the Casa dei Silva, to which belonged the Duke of the Infantado, who preserved them with all the rights and privileges annexed until 1806, when - by Decree of King Giuseppe Napoleone - feudalism was abolished with all its attributions and prerogatives.

After the Subversive Law of Feudalism, the castle often raises questions of property rights between the municipality and the military genius. He was occupied by the Government, which used it as a barracks and as a prison.

It then passed to the Municipality of Pizzo, to whom the Italian Government ceded it, retaining only the part that - with the Decree of 3 June 1892 - was declared a "National Monument".

It was damaged by the earthquake of 1783, which destroyed the upper chambers; they were rebuilt in 1790 at the expense of the Ducal Administration.

Today, some of its structures have been lost; while, for the rest, the building retains its original appearance.