A most disagreeable stony road brought us to Ruvo, through a vine
country. The pomegranate hedges in flower, and the holme oak loaded
with kermes, enlivened the prospect, which otherwise would have
been very dull.... I here quitted the Roman way, and rode fifteen
miles westward to Castel del Monte. The country I traversed is open,
uneven and dry. The castle is a landmark, and stands on the brow of a
very high hill, the extremity of a ridge that branches out from the
Apennine. The ascent to it is near half a mile long, and very steep;
the view from its terrace most extensive. A vast reach of sea and plain
on one side, and mountains on the other; not a city in the province but
is distinguishable; yet the barrenness of the foreground takes off a
great deal of the beauty of the picture. The building is octangular,
in a plain solid style; the walls are raised with reddish and white
stones, ten feet six inches thick; the great gate is of marble, cut
into very intricate ornaments, after the manner of the Arabians; on
the balustrade of the steps lie two enormous lions of marble, their
bushy manes nicely, though barbarously, expressed; the court, which is
in the centre of the edifice, contains an octangular marble bason of
a surprising diameter. To carry it to the summit of such a hill must
have cost an infinite deal of labour. Two hundred steps lead up to
the top of the castle, which consists of two stories. In each of them
are fifteen saloons of great dimensions, cased throughout with various
and valuable marbles; the ceilings are supported by triple clustered
columns of a single block of white marble, the capitals extremely
simple. Various have been the opinions concerning the founder of this
castle; but the best grounded ascribe it to Frederick of Swabia. I
dined and spent the hot hours with great comfort under the porch, which
commands a noble view of the Adriatic.
In the evening I descended the mountain, and rode nine miles to Andria,
a large feudal city, east of the Roman road.