Puglia in October 2025 Corato and Castel del Monte

We are staying in Trani for the last few days of our trip to Puglia in October 2025. On Wednesday, after an excellent breakfast at Biancaneve, we drive to Corato, discovering on the way that the place where we’d planned to have lunch is closed for holidays. Corato is also a bit of a non-event, the historical centre by Puglia standards is nothing special. The nicest thing is the fresco of the Madonna in the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore and we do track down one or two murals.

It’s a long time until the restaurant we have managed to book opens at 1pm so we decide to go to Castel del Monte in the meantime. It’s a very pleasant drive through the countryside on this sunny autumn morning. The olive trees here, unlike in the Salento are still healthy and the olives groves make a pleasant background and we catch some glimpses of Castel del Monte in the distance. 

We park at the L’altro villaggio which opened just a couple of weeks before and which, apart from parking in the shade, for 5 euros also offers a playground for children, toilets, a pleasant picnic area and more planned for the future. From there it’s a short walk first on the treelined road but mostly through the woods on a path which goes uphill but gently, with some shapes of wild animals in metal which almost disappear into the forest like the originals. 

Castel del Monte is situated on the top of a hill 539 metres above sea level in the northern Murge plateau of Puglia. It was built in the 13th-century, by Frederick II of Swabia, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily. UNESCO included it in the list of World Heritage Sites in 1996 for the mathematical and astronomical rigour of its forms and for the harmonious union of the cultural elements of Northern Europe, the Islamic world and classical antiquity, a typical example of medieval architecture.

The castle is octagonal in shape with a turret at each corner which is also octagonal. The main entrance portal looks approximately east, facing the point where the sun rises coinciding with the spring and autumn equinoxes. Each of the walls has windows. In particular, the northern façade (on the side facing Andria), has a triple-lancet window on the second floor. 

The castle is built of mainly of limestone, making it look white to pink, depending on the time of day. There is also Coral breccia, which adds a striking touch of color and some traces of white or lightly veined marble. There are various theories as to the use of Castel del Monte – from a castle in the traditional sense to a sort of temple, or even a wellness centre, on the model of the Arab hammam, or simply an affirmation of imperial power, since it is shaped like a crown. Of the two crouching lions flanking the entrance portal, the one on the right looks towards the left and vice versa, facing the points on the horizon where the sun rises during the two solstices of summer and winter. Wikipedia here, has more about these theories.

We first walk all the way round it, looking out towards the coast – Molfetta, Trani and the Gargano promontory beyond. Second time around we look up at the castle, which is less bare and austere than it seemed from the photos. The warm limestone gives it a softer look, enhanced by the stone carvings around the doors and windows. Entry costs 10 euros per person so we don’t pay to go in. We look at the inner courtyard from the ticket office and make do with that for the time being. I think we will return when there’s free entry and we have got time to explore the inside better as well as the meaning of some of the architectural choices which are fascinating. 

You may be surprised at the detail about this visit. You see, I was wrong. I had avoided Castel del Monte for years. Instead, it's all much better than I expected and I am fascinated by its history and symbolism. But lunch is calling and we go back down to the car and drive to Corato where we have lunch at La Pace dei Sensi, where the antipasti (I count 17 different ‘tasters’, finish me off to such an extent that I only try a little meat afterwards and then bring the rest of the meat and the cake for dessert home for the evening. We stagger out far too full at 3 pm, drive back to Trani for coffee, ginger tea and a rest and then it’s out for our Trani strolling.