The Angevin Castle

This Angevin castle can be found east of Gallipoli, the “bella città” (beautiful city). It is completely surrounded by the sea. It can be seen at the beginning of the peninsula enclosing the old town, at the entrance of the seventeenth-century bridge, once a drawbridge connecting the isthmus with the mainland. This fortified building was once completely detached from the surrounding territory; all its sides lapping against the sea, the entrance faced the island and was connected with the mainland by a drawbridge, serving as a defensive stronghold especially for inland territories.
Today, the castle has a quadrangular shape and is surrounded by four donjons at its corners, as well as a detached fifth donjon, known as “Rivellino”, standing alone in the water. Currently, this castle hosts the local Finance Police headquarters, while the Rivellino tower is used as an outdoor cinema during the Summer.