The castle, located in the highest part of Cercemaggiore’s historic center, looks from the outside like a mighty structure resting on the rock. The defensive aspect it had at its origins, as a fortress of the Norman era, is evident in the only surviving tower: tall and majestic it stands out on the rocky outcrops well attached to the eastern wall of the building.
The facade, on the other hand, which flanks the mother church of S. Maria della Croce, looks like a real lordly residence: it is the result of a series of transformations carried out by the feudal lords, most notably the dukes Carafa and the marquises Doria, starting in the 16th century. Inside are evidence of the barrel-vaulted cellar and the marquis bed canopy with ceiling painted by Niccolò Falocco in 1752.