In the 1329 Roberto of Angiò it ordered the construction of a military complex on the hill of S. Erasmo (actual S. Martino) with the purpose, from a side, to check the roads that conducted in the city from the high ground that surrounded and, from the other, of tender the underlying urban agglomeration. In his strategic sketch the king angioino was certainly preceded by the Norman ones, which, in 1170, they made to erect on the same hill a tower of observation that, in the time had to assume ampler dimensions. About this construction is known little solo that called Belforte and was surrounded by a luxuriant vegetation.
More conspicuous they are the news around the castle for instance wanted by Roberto the name of the architects: Francis of Vito, Tub from Camaino and Atanasio Primario physician.
In 1348 the castle, ended hardly, had to withstand its first siege from the king of Hungary, Ludovico, that had organized a consignment against the kingdom in Naples to avenge his brother Andrew, whose killing was attributed vox populi to his wife, the Queen Giovanna of Angiò. But king Ludovico's permanence lasted few because the burst of a deadly pestilence induced to make bundle as soon as possible. A second consignment was had in 1350 and concluded with a peace it continues with to convulsive negotiations.
It followed a hard struggle between the branches of Angiò and Durazzo and the other queen Giovanna of Durazzo revenges the castle to one lover of his for 2500 ducati. s The our castle became again the more circle military objective when, subsequently, French and Spaniards competed for the possession of the kingdom in Naples. The king of Spain Charles V definite to reconstruct ex novo the castle and to promote the initiative was Pedro de Toledo, the only Spanish viceroy that, when it decided to do something, it did with the due seriousness and with indisputable efficiency: him, in fact the left an indelible imprint in Naples, conferring to the center historical part of the urbanistic solutions that anchors today they characterize it. The architect was Spanish Pietro Luigi Scribà, that began to operate in 1537 a general effecting fortification of the whole high ground of S. Martino. The Scribà conceived the castle to stellar plant with six points comprendente the areas destined to the defense, to the polveriera, the lodging for the castellano and those for the garrison, ample courtyards and undergrounds, environments for the detention, vast stores, a church and a colossal swimming pool able to assure an abundant water restocking. A work " ciclopica " with boundaries in stone so thick and strong to practically result unassailable.
In 1587, however, because of a terrible storm, a lightning got depressed on the polveriera and belonged to the construction to explode that falling on the city went notable damages to many monuments and churches.

It is worth to visit the 1547 S. Erasmo church that preserve a valuable floor in maiolica and cooked. Behind the altar there is the grave of Pietro de Toledo, relative of the viceroy and first castellanos of S. Elmo. In front of the entry of the church they find the jails in which were confined, among the other Giovanna of Capua, princess of Basin, for his erotic lack of restraint that brought up to the crime; Thomas Campanella that, it tells, here his wrote "City of the sun"; Angel Carasale, the architect that planned and realized St. Charles that was accused of having gained on the funds of the jobs and for this died of heartbreak; Mario Pagano; Domenico Cirillo; Gennaro Serra of they Cancel; the count Ettore Carafa; Francis Pignatelli; Giovanni Bausan; Luigia Sanfelice; Pietro Colletta; Charles Poerio; Silvio Spaventa etc.

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