Municipality of Pietramontecorvino, Preta Museum in the Norman Tower

The tower of the Borgo di Pietramontecorvino has an almost square plan (12.20×12.60 m) and is
spread over six levels (surmounted by a flat terrace), approximately 30 meters high.
The first document that concerns it directly, dating back to 1309, already presents it as ‘old and ruined’. The origin of this building, therefore, is much earlier, and two other documents allow us to speculate on the period. The ‘Catalogue of the Barons informs us that in the second half of the 12th century, Pietra was a ‘fief of two soldiers’, while a donation of 1218 presents the settlement as ‘Castel di Pietra’. It is probable, therefore, that the tower was built as an essential architectural element of the castle before the latter date.
The entrance is currently surmounted by a machicolation made of bricks. One of the most characteristic elements of the Pietra tower is the spiral staircase made entirely of wood located on the west side.
The construction techniques and characteristics of the Pietramontecorvino tower seem to be related to the military architecture of the late Norman and Swabian periods.
The imposing turreted building, which still dominates the village of Pietramontecorvino today, was probably conceived for defensive purposes but also as a symbol of power, as shown by the rooms and the care devoted to the tower. The rooms and the care devoted to realising furnishings and architectural elements with decorative values probably also indicate its residential vocation and use.