CultureUpper Tyrrhenian Cosentino · Riviera dei Cedri
Castle of Belvedere Marittimo
The Sanseverino fortress dominating the medieval village: Norman core, Angevin residence and Renaissance forms of 1490, with the coat of arms of Ferrante of Aragon on the gate.
The Castle of Belvedere Marittimo occupies the upper part of the village and tells eight centuries of its story. By tradition the first core is Norman; the Swabians enlarged and fortified it, and under the Angevins the stronghold became a true castle residence. In 1287 the feudal lord Ruggero Sangineto brought fortress and town walls up to the techniques of his day.
Its present look, however, is a product of the Renaissance. In the late 1400s the Sanseverino of Bisignano set out to adapt the castle to the new military art, and in 1490, under King Ferrante of Aragon, gave it today’s form; the king’s coat of arms is still carved over the gate into the enclosure. The corbels of the crowning have been compared to those of the castle of Imola, the towers to solutions found in Calabrian and Apulian castles of the same years, from Corigliano to Taranto and Otranto, and recent studies have linked the design to masters such as Giuliano da Maiano, Francesco di Giorgio Martini and Antonio Marchesi da Settignano.
Frequently asked questions
- The core is Norman by tradition, enlarged by the Swabians and transformed by the Angevins; renewed in 1287 by Ruggero Sangineto, it took its present form in 1490 under the Sanseverino of Bisignano.
- Because the Renaissance remodelling of 1490 took place under King Ferrante of Aragon, whose coat of arms was set over the gate into the enclosure.
How old is the castle of Belvedere Marittimo?
Why is there an Aragonese coat of arms on the castle?
More places in Belvedere Marittimo
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Culture Capo Tirone and the Bruttian tombs
The headland of Belvedere’s Marina where in 1956 Bruttian burials of the 4th–3rd century BC came to light and, on the Cotura plain, a Roman villa d’otium.
- Old town
Medieval village of Belvedere Marittimo
The upper town on its 150-metre spur: the Chiesetta del Rosario with its 1091 portal, the birthplace of Saint Daniele Fasanella, the walls and the view over the Riviera dei Cedri.
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Culture Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso
The small church of 1599 set against the village walls that houses the monumental wooden crucifix of 1711 conceived by Pietro Frasa.
Itineraries through here
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4 daysGrand tourGrand Tour of the Riviera dei Cedri
Four days from north to south along the Upper Tyrrhenian Cosentino coast: islands, Norman towns, murals and sanctuaries.
11 stops8 townsMay–OctoberSee the stops -
3 daysTowns & historyTowns & history
Three days among old towns, castles and the only Occitan language island in southern Italy.
6 stops5 townsAll year roundSee the stops -
4 daysTowns & historyFour days among old towns
Four days among castles, Norman towns, sacred art and the Occitan language island.
8 stops5 townsAll year roundSee the stops -
3 daysFamilyFamily on the coast
Three easy days for families: beaches, murals and a boat trip to the island of Dino.
6 stops3 townsJune–SeptemberSee the stops