Torre Astura
Torre Astura on the Tyrrhenian Sea at Nettuno
The Torre Astura is a medieval castle on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the municipality of Nettuno, Lazio.
Predecessors
Near the castle was in antiquity the settlement Astura at the mouth of the river of the same name. Under the Roman Empire was on the mainland before the present castle, a villa. The moles of the property belonging to this port, which was probably used as late as the Middle Ages are still good to see the sea.
History
According to the ancient Astura later reappears in the year 987 documentary on, when the territory of Benedict of Tusculum to the monastery Sant'Alessio in Rome was given. But soon it came under the control of the Frangipane, who called themselves from 1141 Lords of Astura.
In September, Conradin, the last Hohenstaufen king tried to disembark from Astura out to Pisa after the lost battle of Tagliacozzo. He was, however, established by Giovanni Frangipane, actually a vassal of the Hohenstaufen and delivered to his opponent Charles of Anjou, who had beheaded Conradin in Naples on October 29, 1268. Thus the reign of the Hohenstaufen in Italy was ended.
After the Frangipane various noble families took turns in the possession of the castle. In the 16th century the Colonna built the castle to its present state.
Today the castle is located in a military area, whereby the access is not possible. However, here was spared from urban sprawl by this circumstance the coast.
2005 requested the provincial government of Rome to receive the Torre Astura in the list of World Heritage Site by UNESCO.