Castle built for Count Gian Carlo Tramontano, Lord who ruled the county of Matera. He gained the power although people of the city wanted to break free from the feudatarians and hardly managed to make an agreement with king Ferdinando II shortly before Count Tramontano started ruling the city. His debts grew enormously and he taxed the people over and over, acting as an oppressive tyrant. Then some citizens conspired to kill him, they hid behind a rock in the city called "Rock of bad advice" and waited for him to exit from the cathedral. Since it was not permitted to bring weapons inside the church the Count was unarmed and so he couldn't defend himself and got killed. People of Matera had their revenge and the street where the Count was killed had been named "Via del Riscatto", Street of Liberation.