The pope called Emporer Frederick II a man who “had little love for religion.” Many considered Frederick the anti-Christ. It is ironic then that Frederick “the hammer of the world” built what is today considered “a unique masterpiece” of Christian military architecture.
Completed in 1249, the ‘Belvedere’ fortress synchronized diverse Jewish, Islamic, and Christian philosophies. The octagon floor plan symbolizes resurrection and the terrestrial realm between heaven and earth. Stairways, in smaller octagon form, emphasize each point of this plan. The interior courtyard brings emphasis to daylight and natural air.
The east-west axis orientation deviates 2.5 degrees- matching the tilt of the earth’s axis. This light stone structure sits prominantly in the landscape as a human achievement of geometry and logic.
(Raising the Edge– flickr/creative commons license)
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(vic15– flickr/creative commons license)
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(Andrea Rinaldi– flickr/creative commons license)
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(tuttotorvo– flickr/creative commons license)
(vitoabrusci– flickr/creative commons license)
