The Castle Dentice di Frasso of Carovigno, probably founded by the Normans, is located near the historic centre of the town, on a promontory overlooking the entire coastline. It stands out for its peculiar triangular shape - assumed during the 16th century - and the presence of fortifications at its vertices: the square tower, the round tower and finally the lanceolate tower, also known as the 'almond tower'. The latter tower was probably designed under the influence of the famous military architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini, whose presence in Apulia is attested at the end of the 15th century, to supervise the construction of several strongholds.

 

From the 17th century onwards, when the need for defence disappeared, the castle began to take on the characteristics of a noble residence, thanks to the noble families that owned it: among them, the Caputo, Serra, Costaguti, Castaldi, Granafei and Imperiali families. The rooms were adapted for this purpose by opening doors, windows and balconies: one example is the elegant balcony that dominates the south façade of the castle, built during the 18th century, using 'Carovigno' limestone, known as 'gentile', which is soft and easy to work and whose characteristic light colour gives it a fascinating light.

 

The noble Dentice family from Frasso (a small town in the province of Benevento, in Campania) acquired the property in 1791. When Counts Alfredo Dentice di Frasso and Elisabetta Schlippenbach received it as a wedding gift, the castle needed a major renovation, which was entrusted to the engineer Gaetano Marschiczek in 1906. He did not limit himself to restoring the existing building, but created new spaces, integrated them and enriched the entire building with decorations and sculptures that concealed cultured and refined messages. Moreover, at the Countess's wish, the Castle was endowed with an extraordinary park in which the play of symmetry and proportion imitated, albeit on a smaller scale, those of the sumptuous European royal palaces. To provide easy access, an undercroft was created, which is still visible today, linking the garden adjacent to the Castle with this larger appendage and the adjoining botanical garden.

 

In 1926, to revive the town's economy, the Counts Dentice di Frasso turned some of the premises into a spinning and weaving school, which operated until 1955 and produced valuable fabrics that were appreciated all over the world. When Counts Elisabetta and Alfredo died in 1938 and 1940 respectively, their grandson Luigi Dentice di Frasso was appointed heir and lived there with his family until 1961.

 

Between 1909 and 1961 the castle was frequented by illustrious guests, including the scientist Guglielmo Marconi and King Umberto II di Savoia of Italy.

 

In 1961 Count Luigi sold the Castle to the Opera Nazionale per la Protezione della Maternità e dell'Infanzia (National Society for the Protection of Motherhood and Childhood). In 1973 it became the property of the Province of Brindisi. Granted to the Municipality, today it is a splendid cultural container, the site of numerous events, which houses the "S.Morelli" Municipal Library within its walls.