The Norman/Swabian castle of Morano Calabro, built in 1064 at the behest of Robert Guiscard on the remains of an ancient Roman tower, enlarged in 1191 by Henry Halà, generalissimo of the Emperor Henry VI of Swabia, and rebuilt in 1500, fully inhabited until the mid 1700s, was still usable in 1800.
Later, with the subversion of feudality, it was plundered several times, then abandoned and half destroyed. Around 1910 it was interested in excavation work in the mighty basements and used as a municipal aqueduct.
A recent conservative restoration has dismantled the storage tanks and the water pipeline, creating a large multi-purpose hall, home to interesting cultural initiatives, and giving the structure its suggestive present appearance.
