Castel Capuano

Castel Capuano is a Norman fortress at the eastern edge of Naples' historic center, standing directly beside the Porta Capuana, the ornate Renaissance gateway in the city's medieval walls. Built in the 12th century under the Norman kings, it served as a royal residence for the Angevin and Aragonese dynasties before being converted in 1540 — under Spanish viceroy Pedro de Toledo — into the city's main courthouse, known as the Vicaria. The phrase 'finire alla Vicaria' entered Neapolitan idiom as a euphemism for being thrown in jail, a nod to the fortress's long role as both court and prison. The castle now anchors the eastern end of the Via dei Tribunali, the storied street of tribunals that takes its name from the legal institutions once clustered here. Access to the interior is limited, as the building still houses administrative offices.