Capuano Castle

is the oldest castle in Naples. Of Norman origin, is located at the mouth of the way of the Courts and is headquarters of the civil division of the court of Naples. It owes its name from the fact of being located close to Porta Capuana, which opens on the road that leads to the ancient Capua. Its construction began in 1140 at the behest of King William I of Sicily said Malo, son of Roger the Norman, and was completed in 1160 by architect Good. Has strong fortifications, Castel Capuano was intended from the start to the function of royal residence of the Norman kings, despite the austerity of the environment and its natural vocation of military garrison. Excavations in the nineteenth century have shown that the castle was built in the Naples area where once stood the Roman Gymnasium, transformed into a graveyard in the following centuries, as evidenced by the numerous tombs discovered.

 In 1220, at the initiative of Frederick II, was the first speech of transformation of the castle, which, while preserving its essential fortifications, was made more hospitable and more responsive to his ignity as a royal residence. The assignment was executed by Giovanni Pisano with the advent of the Angevin began building (1279-82) of a new fortress, New Castle,
who inherited the role of residence of the kings of Naples. Castello Capuano continued to hold within its walls some members of the royal family and officials and other distinguished guests such as Francesco Petrarca, who stayed there in 1370 as legate of Clement VI.
Under the reign of the Aragonese Castle Capuano played a role substantially limited, suffering from time to time some elements of the restructuring of indoor and outdoor facilities. Only with the annexation of the Kingdom of Naples to the Spanish crown and its constitution Viceroyalty (1503), Castle Capuano was destined for the first time the function of the courthouse, which has remained until today. Here, in fact, the Viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo met all the courts scattered in various locations throughout the city:  he Holy Royal College, the Royal Room of the summary, the High Court Civil and Criminal Tribunal of the Vicariate and the Mint.
the castle was transformed in 1537 by architects Ferdinand Manlio and John Benincasa: removed all structures were typically military and was amended in its interior, while the basement was used as a prison with well equipped torture chamber
From excavations carried out in 1913 to the emergence of the tombs with terracotta vases and plaques with Latin inscriptions, which prove the subsequent adaptation of the function of the cemetery.