HISTORY
Castello Alfonsino, a jewel of military architecture, is one of the defensive bastions of the city of Brindisi. Also known as the Aragonese Castle, the Sea Castle or the "Red" Castle, it owes this last name to the colour the stone used in its construction takes on at sunset. Located on the island of Sant'Andrea, at the mouth of Brindisi's inner harbour, it stands on the ruins of a Benedictine abbey whose existence is documented between 1059 and 1348. In 1481, at the initiative of Ferdinand of Aragon, a first fortress, known as the "Alfonsina", was built on the by then abandoned island to protect the harbour. Later, the original core was given two defensive bastions, a quadrangular dock and a reception hall. During the reign of Philip II, the fortress was further extended northwards with the construction of the Forte a Mare, which housed about one hundred troop quarters and large storage areas. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Castle became a military base, until the Italian Navy decommissioned it in 1983. Since then, the complex has been part of the State's Historic and Artistic Property and has been granted for governmental use to the Ministry of Culture – Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Brindisi and Lecce.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Because the site is unique, the Castle can be visited only on guided tours led by specialised staff. Booking is required.
The prices shown are for the guided tour service.
To avoid long queues, we strongly recommend buying the guided tour online, on www.pastpuglia.it or in the PastPuglia App.
The tour ticket is non-refundable and covers a single tour route, which can be used at any time during the day. Once the purchase is complete, it cannot be changed, cancelled or refunded.
The guided tour and heritage services at the Castle are provided by Ets Le Colonne under a partnership agreement signed with the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Brindisi and Lecce.
A reduced rate is available for residents of the city and province of Brindisi. To receive it, visitors MUST show a valid identity document at the entrance, together with the guided tour purchase receipt.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For information or assistance, please call the listed telephone numbers from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00.
The meeting point for the guided tour of Castello Alfonsino is the entrance gate near the castle dock.
The guided tour ticket does not include any transport. Visitors are solely responsible for their own transport, whether they arrive by sea or by land.
Please be on time. Visitors who arrive after the guided tour has started may be refused entry at the management's discretion.
Please see the attachments:
Visitor Regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Extra content
Points of interest
1 - Descrizione Generale
2 - L'isola di Sant'Andrea
3 - La rocca alfonsina
4 - L'antemurale
5 - La darsena
6 - Entrata all'antemurale
7 - Il castello nel XX secolo
8 - Sala delle torpedini
9 - Le sale dei binari
10 - Ingresso della rocca
11 - Sala di rappresentanza
12 - Il lavabo rinascimentale
13 - La scala sospesa
14 - La battaglia della nave 'Generoso'
15 - La polveriera
16 - Il ponte di pietra, la porta reale e la garitta
17 - I camminamenti di ronda
18 - Il forte e gli alloggi
19 - La porta manierista
Nearby
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