The fortress of Mascio Angioino, otherwise known as the New Castle (Castel Nuovo), stands on the shore of the Gulf of Naples, serving as a characteristic symbol of the city for travellers coming from the sea. Forming an irregular trapezoidal shape, it is built on high escarpments and is reinforced by high crenellated towers around its perimeter. The fortress received its unofficial name Mascio Angioino ("Anjou's husband") in honour of Charles I of Anjou, who built it in 1279-1282. Subsequently, under Alfonso I of Aragon, it was almost completely rebuilt by Tuscan and Catalan craftsmen between 1443 and 1453.
The three towers of the main facade have the following names: St George's, Middle and Watchtower. Between the last two towers is the famous Arc de Triomphe, one of the most brilliant examples of Renaissance architecture, following in this case the ancient Roman artistic tradition. The arch was built in honour of the accession of Alfonso I of Naples and consists of several tiers. The lower tier is decorated with Corinthian columns and the bas-relief "Alfonso and his retinue"; the second tier is decorated with the frieze "Alfonso's triumphal entry into Naples". The third also has an arch with Ionic columns, and the fourth has four niches with allegorical statues: Moderation, Strength, Justice and Charity. The composition is crowned by a semi-circular pediment with allegories of two rivers and, above it, a statue of Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Christian sovereigns - warriors. A number of remarkable masters laboured on this arch: Francesco Laurana, Domenico Gaggini, Isaiah de Pisa and Pietro di Martino.
Behind the Arc de Triomphe, a spacious courtyard opens up, giving access to the Hall of the Barons, where the city council meetings are held, as well as to the castle chapels and dungeons-dungeons. In the Hall of the Barons Ferdinand I of Aragon brutally massacred the instigators of the Baronial Revolt of 1486, which is the reason for its name.
The castle served as a residence for the Angevin and Aragonese courts; among its notable tenants were Pope Celestine V, Giotto, Petrarch, Bocaccio, Charles V and others. In the 16-18th centuries the castle was rebuilt several times, and at the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of restoration, it was returned to its 15th century appearance.
