Castles

Castles of Tufara

Tufara belongs to the territory of the Longobard Duchy of Benevento (7^th-9^th century). Tufara (Tufarah, according to the Arab geographer Edrisi, 1150) is mentioned in the Catalogus Baronum, in the list of castles of the County of Civitate, as a feud that owed the king the service of a soldier. In the middle years of the 12^th century it belonged to Drumanus and later to Riccardus Mathiani. The castle belonged to the Marzano family until the early 14^th century and then to the Gambatesa-Monforte families until the end of the 15^th century. Subsequently it passed into the hands of the Carafa family and lastly into those of the Pignatelli family. Decio Crispano was, perhaps, the author of some modifications made around 1500. The castle represents a typical feudal architectural artefact whose structure, however, is not easy to decipher. Traces of piling from the original wooden defensive structure have been discovered. The floor plan has an unusual length due to the incorporation of various bodies during the early Middle Ages and the following centuries. During the Norman period the original construction was probably modified on the south-eastern side, the most effective side for control of the Celano-Foggia sheep-track and the course of the river Fortore. Also the creation of the block that houses the armoury, originating from the restructuring of a pre-existing body, can presumably be dated back to Norman times. Numerous cisterns and storerooms still exist; all of them are circular except one which is square. The “chevalier” towers that straddle the inclined wall are very interesting, and represent an unusual construction solution.