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In the 10th century the Duke of Amalfi commissioned the Castle of Lettere to protect his northern borders. It was part of a network of fortifications that allowed the Amalfitans to control both sides of the Lattari mountains. In fact, the site still offers a wonderful panoramic view, which enabled the control not only of the area from the port of Castellammare to the mouth of the Sarno river and the entire Gulf of Naples, but also the Sarno Valley dominated by Mount Vesuvius, and the stretch from the Sarno mountains to the town of Pagani.
The castle was originally built in the form of a fortified village with multi-storey houses, as proven by documents dating back to 1030 and 1033. The construction of the citadel, now known as the castle, was probably related to the settlement of the feudal lord that commissioned it as his place of residence inside the walls, and as a symbol of his power. The building has a trapezoidal shape with four towers still standing, the highest of which served as a keep. Inside the walls a cathedral was also built, which has been the seat of a bishopric from 987. In the 12th century a bell tower decorated with tarsias made of grey tuff and yellow sandstone forming stars, crosses, and lozenges was built up next to this first building.
