Brief synthesisCastel del Monte, located in the municipality of Andria, rises on a rocky hill dominating the surrounding countryside of the Murgia region in southern Italy near the Adriatic Sea. Castel del Monte is a unique masterpiece of medieval architecture, reflecting the humanist ideas of its founder, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. Criterion (ii): Inseparably linked to Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, the building of Castel del Monte illustrates the cosmopolitan spirit of the Emperor who brought together Greek, Arab, Italian and Jewish scholars to his court in Palermo. Criterion (iii): Symbolic of the Mediterranean policy of a Germanic Emperor who was born at Iesî, brought up in Sicily and attracted at a very early age by the Oriental world, Castel del Monte combines intellectual and moral elements from the great Mediterranean civilizations in one creation. AuthenticityCastel del Monte has been subjected to almost no structural alteration, which has allowed it to maintain authenticity in a number of principle areas.