Giusso Castle: the legends of Vico Equense

Located in Vico Equense, over the years it has undergone several changes that have profoundly altered its original structure.

Today, the castle is known by the name of one of its owners and is used for ceremonies, gatherings and important art exhibitions. With 700 years of history behind it, the building is shrouded in extraordinary myths and dark legends. Among these tales, one stands out: that of the ghost said to haunt its walls. Before telling the legend in detail, a little historical context is needed. It is said that the castle was built by Charles II of Anjou with the aim of defending the town of Vico Equense and housing the royal family during the summer months.

Some dispute the castle's true origins, claiming it was actually built by Sparano di Bari, a feudal lord, to house soldiers, supplies and munitions for the army, funded by the Angevin king. Over the centuries many people lived in the castle, but it was the Giusso family, who held it from 1822 to 1934, who made the most significant changes, painting it the distinctive salmon-pink colour that still marks it out today.

But who is the ghost of Giusso Castle? According to legend, the walls of Giusso Castle in Vico Equense are haunted by the ghost of Queen Joan I of Anjou of Naples. This queen, one of the first women in Europe to reign by dynastic right, succeeded her grandfather Robert of Anjou after the premature death of her father Charles, Duke of Calabria. The queen, known as Joan the Mad, was said to be an insatiable woman with a habit of killing the men with whom she had had relationships. It made no difference whether they were noblemen or commoners — the men procured for her by her officials all met the same sad fate.

The queen would poison her victims or set deadly traps for them inside the castle. It is also said that she plotted to kill her first husband, Duke Andrew of Calabria, son of King Charles Robert of Hungary and her own cousin. Andrew was murdered by a group of conspirators on the night of 18 September 1345 at the castle of Aversa. The queen launched an investigation into the crime, probably to hide her own suspected involvement, steering suspicion away from herself before Pope Clement VI.

The legend of Joan I of Anjou is closely linked to that of Joan II, a similar story according to which the queen supposedly killed her lovers by throwing them into the secret well of the Maschio Angioino (Angevin Keep), a chamber filled with crocodiles and fierce water creatures. Ironically, Queen Joan I is said to have ended up falling into one of her own traps, and ever since, her restless spirit is said to haunt the rooms of Giusso Castle. Today, little remains of the castle's original structure.

However, the perimeter walls and a wonderful terrace overlooking the sea are still visible. Following various restoration works, in the 17th century the castle became a stately residence and was embellished with gardens, grottoes, fountains and centuries-old plants. The interiors were also decorated, and further restoration work followed after the building passed into the hands of Luigi Giusso.

Among the most fascinating curiosities about the castle, it is worth mentioning that the Neapolitan jurist Gaetano Filangieri chose to spend his final days there, convinced that the air of Vico Equense might help him in his struggle against the illnesses that afflicted him. The jurist met his death within the castle's walls on 21 July 1788.