The Castle of Otranto

About The Castle of Otranto The Castle of Otranto is a work of literary fiction by British author Horace Walpole, first published in 1764 in the UK. Manfred, Prince of Otranto, had one son and one daughter: the latter, a most beautiful virgin, aged eighteen, was called Matilda. Conrad, the son, was three years younger, a homely youth, sickly, and of no promising disposition; yet he was the darling of his father, who never showed any symptoms of affection to Matilda. Manfred had contracted a marriage for his son with the Marquis of Vicenza’s daughter, Isabella; and she had already been delivered by her guardians into the hands of Manfred, that he might celebrate the wedding as soon as Conrad’s infirm state of health would permit. Regarded as the first Gothic novel ever written, The Castle of Otranto recounts the strange events that befall Manfred, lord of the castle, and his household. On the day his ailing son, Conrad, and princess Isabella are to be wed, a massive helmet falls on him from above, killing him. This mysterious occurrence is viewed as especially foreboding given the existence of an ancient prophecy stating, "that the castle and lordship of Otranto shall depart from the existing line, whenever the genuine owner should grow too large to inhabit it." Fearful that Conrad's death marks the beginning of the end for his dynasty, Manfred decides he must marry Isabella himself, although this will first require that he divorce his present wife, Hippolita, and what follows is a tale of sexual politics and dynastic intrigue. Set in a haunted castle, against the backdrop of 13th century Sicily, the narrative abounds with unfulfilled prophesies, paranormal events, adventure, and mystery, all dispensed by the inescapable hand of fate.