Castel dell'Ovo
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Castel dell'Ovo (Italian: "Egg Castle") is a castle in the Italian city of Naples. The edifice is located on a small island, the Megarides where the colonists from Cumae founded the originary nucleus of the city, in the 6th century BCE. In the 1st century CE the Roman patrician Lucius Licinius Lucullus built here a magnificent villa. Fortified by Valentinian III in the early 5th century, it was the place where the last western Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus, was exiled in 476 by Odoacer. The name stems from a legend dating back to the Middle Ages, according to which the poet Virgil had a magical egg put in the foundation to support them.
Later a convent and some fortifications were added to ruining villa, but they were demolished in the 9th century by Neapolitans to avoid its being used by Saracen ravagers. The first castle was built by the Normans in the 12th century. Importance of Castel dell'Ovo started to decline when king Charles I of Anjou had a new castle, Castel Nuovo, built and the court moved there. Castel dell'Ovo became the seat of the Royal Chamber and of the State Treasury. The current appearance dates from the Aragonese domination (15th century). It was struck by French and Spanish artillery during the Italian Wars; in the Neapolitan Republic of 1799 its guns were used by rebels to deter the philo-Bourbon population.
In the 1800s a small fishing village (Borgo Marinari) sprung-up around the castle's southern wall. This village still stands, however, it is now more known for its marina and several fine restaurants.
The castle is connected by a small causeway that is a popular place for newlyweds to have their wedding photos taken. The causeway is over 100 metres long. The castle is rectangular in shape (approximately 200 by 45 metres at its widest) and has a high angular bastion that overlooks the causeway. Inside the walls are several buildings that are often used for exhibitions and other special events. At the castle rear a long promontory juts out and was probably used as a docking area. To the south-east, just outside the castle walls is a large round tower.
Because of its location, the castle gives an excellent view of the Naples waterfront and the area surrounding the Gulf of Naples.
Albergo dei Poveri | Cathedral of Naples (San Gennaro) | Cappella Sansevero | Castel dell'Ovo | Castel Nuovo | Certosa di San Martino | Gesù Nuovo | Museo di Capodimonte | Palazzo Reale | Posillipo | San Domenico Maggiore | Santa Chiara | Teatro San Carlo |