Il Castello di “Carta”. Excursus della presenza del castello di Gallipoli nella cartografia storica

The Castle of "paper". Excursus of Gallipoli’s castle presence in historical cartographyThe castle is located at the eastern part of the Gallipoli’s old town: the first data in archives and libraries started from the sixth century under the mention of castrum and in the following centuries there are many informations on parchments, written documents and bibliography published until today. The Syllabus Grecarum Membranarum from the twelfth century and the Statutum de reparatione castrorum of Frederick II are two precious sources about the primitive castle’s architecture.The structure endured the passage of the Byzantines, Normans, Swabians, Angevins and again, Aragonese, Venetians, Spaniards, Austrians and finally the Bourbons, until it became property of the State and now of the Gallipoli’s municipality. It has suffered over time numerous interventions to adapt it to new military needs: the castle was no longer effective with leading defence from new siege weapons, as for other architectures of the same period.The numerous representations preserved in Italian and European archives give a complete picture of the Gallipoli’s urban development and include the defensive system of the city: the different views illustrate the walls and allow us to understand the castle’s main evolutionary dynamics and its connection with the town.