The construction of Castelnuovo - Maschio Angioino (Angevin Keep) began in 1279 on the order of Charles I of Anjou, and from whom it takes its name. The whole complex was entrusted to the French architect Pierre d’Angincourt whose remit was to build a Royal Palace more suitable than the Castel dell’Ovo and the Capuana palace. In a fresco in the Palatine Chapel, Giotto depicts a likeness of the original building, known as Castelnuovo, or ‘new castle’ to distinguish it from its predecessors. Today the castle is home to the Municipal Museum.
