The castle standing on the Vomero hill towering over Naples, from which there is a beautiful view of the city and the volcano Vesuvius. It is a medieval fortress built in the 13th century to defend the city against attacks from the west. The first documentary references to Castel Sant’Elmo date from the second half of the 13th century. Roberto of Anjou commissioned architect and sculptor Tino di Camaino, at that time busy working on the Certosa di San Martino, to begin extension work in 1329.
Between 1537 and 1547, during the reign of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo began the reconstruction work that led to the current hexagonal star-shaped layout. When an explosion destroyed a large part of the buildings in Piazza d’Armi in 1587, the reconstruction project was entrusted to architect Domenico Fontana. The castle was also a protagonist of the 1799 Revolution when a group of intellectuals, inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution, took hold of the fortress proclaiming the Neapolitan Republic.
In its history it also served as a prison, and currently remains closed to tourists, except for outdoor events and periodic exhibitions that are organized in it.
