Frederick II

Narrative Museum

The narrative museum peoples the Castle with stories from “The World of Frederick II”. Visitors become an integral part of the excitement of court life, and get to know the historical and political events and the personalities that marked the Emperor's lifetime. Through an interactive and highly atmospheric journey, an exhibition of art and media illuminates the personality of Frederick and his time: the arts, the crafts, the struggle against the Pope, and his human side as well. In his monologue the Emperor states that he is pervaded by the desire for perfection, the result of his education. Frederick devoted his life to bringing together, through art, culture, government and civil society, his boundless “Stupor Mundi”, the curiosity about the world. Historical figures and daily life are presented to the visitor through the itinerary of the narrative museum and a dramatic staging in the courtyard of the Castle, accompanied by a film with special effects. Technology and creativity allow the walls of the Castle to become witnesses, and to reveal what people have seen, heard, imagined, suspected and finally discovered.

The Emperor's Bodyguard

The adventure begins with the visitors climbing the interior staircase. An unusual surprise awaits them there, immediately attracting their attention: the Emperor's personal bodyguard is an Arab soldier who emerges from his sleep upon the visitors' arrival to welcome them and invite them to learn by playing. The Emperor does not trust Christians as his bodyguards, because the Pope has excommunicated him. The cognitive-emotional experience is triggered in the Globe Room: a narration related to the place and the time starts with the animation of the central sphere hanging from the ceiling. The historical narration is enriched with images from codices and miniatures.

The Bar of Time

The experience continues with the Bar of Time and the Geographical Map. Facing the map stands a bar that visitors slide with their own hands, moving back and forth in space and time to follow the achievements and exploits of the Emperor. The Bar of Time holds 12 significant events from the reign of Frederick, reached through an audio installation or headphones in 3 languages: sliding the cursor, visitors step into the period they have chosen. The paper of the Geographical Map has been antiqued, so that today's borders do not obscure the places where the events occurred. In this way, children and young audiences from different countries can easily recognize their own places of origin.

The Crown Hall

In the Crown Hall a large octagonal crown, 15 metres by 4, dominates the scene. The largest jewels are hatches that each visitor can open, and each one holds a story of life in the old village: the blacksmith, the market square, the doctor, the tavern, scenes of the court. The crown rises from the ground at an angle, as though an archaeologist had just uncovered it, and that tilt sets the jewels at different heights, so that adults and children alike can enjoy the stories. The scenes were filmed with the villagers themselves, “direct heirs” of those ancestors who, with their sweat and blood, helped to make the Emperor's vision come true. Visitors can find behind-the-scenes information about the production via the touch-screen kiosk on the wall.

The Court Hall

Excerpts from the monologues in the Court Hall

Remo Girone - Frederick II

Lorenza Indovina - Bianca Lancia

Antonio Manzini - King Manfred

In the Court Hall an immersive and engaging experience takes place, combining theatre and refined technology. A 360-degree projection on the walls presents the Emperor, his last wife, Bianca Lancia, and his favourite son, Manfred. The characters share with visitors important aspects of their lives, revealing their humanity and their secrets. King Manfred is full of admiration for his father, who promoted the sciences and welfare, and wrote in verse and prose. Bianca Lancia, the last of four wives and the only true love of Frederick, is shown suffering loneliness and jealousy, with a constant hope of getting married.

The Hall of Vestiges

The Hall of Vestiges displays Frederician documents and invites visitors to play at four interactive stations showing silhouette patterns, characters and medieval clothing. Multigenerational audiences are then engaged by the screens featuring the figures of the time, including ladies of the castle, servants, knights and craftsmen. The documentation of the exhibits bears solid proof of the main historical stages in the life and work of Frederick: bas-reliefs, codices, chalks, a reproduction of the De arte venandi cum avibus, coins, and icons. The visitor experience is completed by the possibility of touching the exhibits, which are the finest reproductions of the originals.

The History Book

Massimo Foschi - Jacopo da Lentini
Giacomo Zito - Pier delle Vigne

One of the noteworthy interventions is the installation in the Hall of Temporary Exhibitions, which allows visitors to experience living history through a sophisticated device in the form of a book that gives life to new content via video projection, inspired by the themes dealt with in the Court of Frederick. The Hall hosts temporary exhibitions such as “Medieval Women” or “The faces and places of Frederick II”. Exhibits include knights, helmets, swords and medieval clothing.