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Gothic novel by Horace Walpole first published in 1764, regarded as the first gothic novel.

The first edition was published anonymously. Walpole claimed in the preface that ''The Castle of Otranto''is a translation of a medieval Italian story printed in 1529 and written in the time of the crusades. He alleged that the story was found in the library of an ancient Catholic family in the north of England. As the first edition was a huge success, Walpole admitted that he is the author. 

'''
Summary''' 

The protagonist of the story, Manfred, is the prince of Otranto. However, he has no right to his throne, because his grandfather was a usurper who poisoned the rightful ruler, Prince Alfonso. There is a prophecy that the usurpers would remain in power as long as there was a male heir and the castle remains large enough to hold the rightful ruler. 
Manfred arranges for his son Conrad a wedding with Isabella who is the daughter of another Italian noble.
Dramatically, Conrad is crushed to death by a giant helmet on the day of his wedding. Without an heir, and with a barren wife, Manfred decides to keep the throne in the family: he determines to marry Isabella to have an heir with her and locks her in his castle.
Isabella escapes from the castle with the help of a young peasant, Theodore, who is suspected of involvement in Conrad's murder.
Theodore is imprisoned, but he is released by Manfred's daughter, Matilda, who is in love with him. Manfred then learns that Theodore has arranged a lover's meeting at the tomb of Alfonso. He believes that Theodore is meeting Isabella and he surprises the couple and stabs the girl in revenge but discovers that he has murdered his own daughter, Matilda. Alfonso's ghost now grows to enormous size and the castle is no longer big enough to hold it. Manfred's fate is sealed when the ghost destroys the castle. He admits that his family usurped the princedom and the ghost proclaims Theodore his heir. The story ends with the marriage of Theodore and Isabella.


''The Castle of Otranto'' has many Gothic elements, such as supernatural events. 
Paintings come to life, statues bleed, and a giant sword develops a mind of its own.
The novel can be regarded as a counterpart to the [[Enlightenment|enlightened]] 18th century as it is full of superstition, barbaric happenings, ghostly incarnations and chivalry which have no place in the 18th century. 

References: 

http://www.suite101.com/content/horace-walpoles-the-castle-of-otranto-a198608

http://www.shvoong.com/books/1973811-castle-otranto/

Botting, Fred. ''Gothic'' London: Routledge, 1996.