Horace Walpole: The Castle of Otranto
Professor Nick Groom introduces Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto. Widely considered to be the first, and most influential Gothic novel, this is the story that inaugurated a literary genre.
© Oxford University Press
The Castle of Otranto
The actual Castle of Otranto, as in the Horace Walpole novel. Il Castello di Otranto.
Places to see in ( Otranto - Italy )
Places to see in ( Otranto - Italy )
Otranto is a historic seaside town and port on the Adriatic coast of southern Italy, in the region of Puglia. It's a small place with a lovely holiday atmosphere, and makes a good destination for a day trip or a longer stay. The picture-perfect blue waters, white buildings and diving rocks make Otranto the frequent cover star of maps, books and articles about Puglia.
The town is in the province of Lecce, and is close to the easternmost point of Italy. It is within the area known as the Salento, the tip of the peninsula which is the heel of Italy's boot. On a clear day it is possible to see over the Strait of Otranto to Albania. Like many of the local placenames, Otranto is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable.
The name of Otranto is probably best known abroad for The Castle of Otranto, Horace Walpole's pioneering Gothic novel. However, the creepy castle of Walpole's imagination bears little resemblance to the more recent stolid fortress in the real Otranto.
Like much of Puglia, Otranto has a colourful and mixed past. It was important as a Greek and then Roman port, called Hydruntum. Later it was ruled by the Byzantines, the Normans and the Aragonese. In 1480 the town was invaded by Turks, and 800 locals were executed for refusing to convert to Islam. The bones and skulls of the martyrs of Otranto are now stacked behind glass in the cathedral in a manner that would have satisfied Walpole's Gothic imagination.
Otranto's leading attraction is the twelfth-century mosaic in the town's Romanesque cathedral (open 7am-noon and 3pm-8pm; closing earlier in winter). It is a charmingly quaint yet large-scale work carried out by a monk called Pantaleone. Pictures within the mosaic include religous stories like Noah's ark, but also depictions of historical, mythical and even pagan figures, including Alexander the Great (similarly portrayed in the mosaic at Trani) and King Arthur. Alongside the cattedrale is a small museum, the Museo Diocesano, which contains a few local exhibits including fragments of an earlier fourth or fifth-century mosaic from the cathedral site.
The real-life 'castle of Otranto', the Castello Aragonese, is a mighty construction which forms part of the tough defences of Otranto. The current building is fifteenth-century, though it was built on one of Frederick II's earlier fortresses. It is open to the public and sometimes houses temporary exhibitions. Otranto's small tourist information office (not terribly helpful) lies close to the castle in Piazza Castello.
Down where the massive walls mark the entrance to the old town is a pleasant little park, the Villa Comunale. From this point the seafront stretches around the bay to the north. These are more modern areas, without the charm of the historic centre, but still pleasant for a seaside stroll with an ice cream.
The beaches actually within the town are very small - pleasant on a sunny May weekday, but extremely crowded in the peak summer season. The coastline outside Otranto is renowned for its beauty, and there are more stretches of popular beach to both the north and south. These are easiest to reach if you have a car, but there is also a summer bus service to popular seaside spots. To the north of Otranto lie the sandy beaches of Baia dei Turchi and the Laghi Alimini, large lakes close to the sea. Tourist villages were built here in the late twentieth century and the area remains a popular holiday base. A good seaside destination to the south of Otranto is Porto Badisco, a picturesque rocky cove.
( Otranto - Italy ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Otranto . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Otranto - Italy
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Otranto, City of Apulia - (HD)
On the eastern edge of Italy's Salento Peninsula (the heel of the boot), the town of Otranto has been a beautiful seaside jewel for nearly two millennia. It's remote location keeps too many foreign visitors from reaching it on the shores of the Ionian sea, but Italians come down from the north every summer to enjoy the warm, clear waters and blue skies.
My only regret about my visit is that I wish I'd had more time there!
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Goth Book Reviews: The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
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GothLit: The Castle of Otranto; a Gothic Story
It's time to take a look at the very first Gothic novel!
Prof Nick Groom - The Castle of Otranto
Professor Nick Groom of Exeter University explains why Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto is the original Gothic novel
Otranto Historical Center
The historical center of Otranto. Centro storico di Otranto.
Masseria dei Monaci Hotel, Otranto, Italy
The “Masseria dei Monaci” resort (located in the ancient Monks Farm, dating from the fifth century and of a great historic and cultural importance) is the perfect location to experience the holiday of nature.
It's the perfect starting point for nature excursions to discover the Salento's treasures, a few steps from the famous Lake of Bauxite, and 2 km from the center of Otranto, the “Porta D'Oriente”.
#MasseriaDeiMonaci #Otranto #Salento #Italy #travel #seetheworld #ElonTravel #travelvideo #hotel #MasseriaDeiMonaci
CASTLE OF OTRANTO UNDERGROUND
Visit Castlel of Otranto Underground! Produced by Comune di Otranto, holograpic 2D projection by CETMA Virtual, Augmented Reality&Multimedia Area. Actors Carla Guido and Matteo Tarasco.
For more information please visit: us!
Alimini Beach - Otranto , Italy
Beautiful Alimini beach in Otranto - Italy
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Puglia 12 - Otranto 1 - citywalk
We visited Otranto and its lovely beach where a very friendly Italian family shared their lunch with us.
For the horror cathedral of Otranto - sorry but I can't call it anything else - with its impressive mosaic floor - see part 2.
Otranto - Il Castello Aragonese
The castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole in Bengali
The castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole in Bengali. It is a beautiful story.
Otranto Cathedral and the 800 Martyrs
The cathedral of Otranto, including the chapel containing the skulls and bones of the 800 martyrs who were massacred by the Ottomans in 1480.
Otranto ghost
Amazing scenery. Otranto is a coastal town in southern Italy’s Apulia region. It’s home to the 15th-century Aragonese Castle and 11th-century Otranto Cathedral, with a rose window and ornate mosaic flooring. At the harbor, Torre Matta tower has sweeping sea views. Nearby beaches include the popular Alimini Beach. Inland are 2 lakes: the saltwater Alimini Grande and spring-fed Alimini Piccolo. South is the Punta Palascìa lighthouse
LECTURE Castle of Otranto Ch 1
LECTURE Castle of Otranto Ch 1
Horace Walpole Il Castello di Otranto
Horace Walpole (1717-1797) è stato uno scrittore inglese, autore de Il Castello di Otranto (nell'originale Lingua inglese The Castle of Otranto), primo romanzo gotico propriamente detto, la cui prima edizione risale al 24 dicembre del 1764. Ambientata nella città salentina di Otranto, nell'Italia meridionale, è l'opera che diede l'avvio al genere letterario poi diffusosi tra il tardo Settecento e l'inizio dell'Ottocento.
Places to see in ( Otranto - Italy ) Borgo Antico di Otranto
Places to see in ( Otranto - Italy ) Borgo Antico di Otranto
Nestled in one of the most historic towns in Italy's heel, Borgo Antico di Otranto features winding, medieval streets and a path to the Aragonese castle. Visit the main square's decorative clock tower and the area's many churches. Look for the town's system of seaside defensive towers constructed during the 1500s. You'll have views of the Adriatic Sea from hills and overlooks. Head to Corso Garibaldi, the city's main commercial street, for some shopping.
It is exciting to walk on the ancient paved stone made of living stones in the ancient village of Otranto, Unesco's Messenger of Peace. Corso Garibaldi is the commercial artery of the town. Indeed, it boasts the presence of countless small shops, open until late in the evening, where you can find everything: souvenirs, local and non-local gifts, postcards, clothing, etc. Further on, Piazza del Popolo where you can see the Clock Tower, built in 1799 and embellished by the city coat of arms. Subsequently, between bars and bars, you reach Porta a Mare, through which, along a long wooden staircase, you arrive at the port. The historic center of Otranto winds through a dense network of narrow streets where you can admire ancient buildings dating back to different eras.
On the sea, then, stands the Pelasgi Bastion from where you can see a splendid view of the port. In the heart of the ancient village,
Near the gates of some houses, located among the evocative lanes, you can see large granite balls, catapulted by the Saracen bombards in 1480. They have been there since time immemorial as if to remind us of the tragedy that struck the Otrantini.
( Otranto - Italy ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Otranto . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Otranto - Italy
Join us for more :