Castle of Ugento
building in Ugento, Italy
The Ugento Castle is a fortified architectural complex located in the municipality of Ugento in the province of Lecce.
History
The castle stands on the highest point of the city. An initial layout of the building dates back to the late imperial phase, 3rd–4th century AD, subsequently modified and completed by the Normans at the end of the year 1000. It is precisely with the arrival of the Normans that Ugento was reborn; a Latin episcopal seat was established, and the castle took on the rank of a real fortress. In 1272, with the Angevin domination, the castle became royal, and Giovanni Conte was chosen as the first regent. Charles of Anjou was hosted in the castle in 1273. In 1275, the king decided to repair the manor by employing local labor, with the funds allocated for the royal castles. These works were only partially carried out due to insufficient financial resources which, however, were disbursed the following year. The building hosted many important families, including the Colonna, the Orsini del Balzo, and the Artus.
In 1537, following the occupation of the city by the Turks, the Castle was seriously damaged: two towers were destroyed as well as a good part of the western wing, the ground floor and the first floor.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Castle of Ugento” as building in Ugento, Italy. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as building in Ugento, Italy. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q113553701. Authority coordinates are 39.929, 18.162. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1000, 1272, 1273 and 1275.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Castle of Ugento”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Castle of Ugento primary sources, Castle of Ugento archive and Castle research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Castle of Ugento” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.