If you are in sunny Cyprus and enjoy the local Commandaria wine, you should think: why not take a trip to the birthplace of this drink? Well, if you sweeten your tea or coffee with wonderful brown cane sugar, then the reasons to visit Kolossi Castle are doubly increased. What does a harsh medieval fortress have in common with wine? It can be assumed that the soldiers of the garrison once consoled themselves with them during their difficult service. But what does a castle have to do with cane sugar? We will reveal all the secrets if you take a fascinating virtual tour of Kolossi with us. This castle is well worth a visit. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island of Cyprus.
Where is located and how to get there
This medieval citadel is located on the south coast. To get to Kolossi, you first need to come to Limassol. This resort is located ten kilometers east of the medieval fortress. Tour buses leave here.from many towns in Cyprus. But if you are relaxing in Limassol, then it is better for you to make an independent trip to the castle. City bus number 17 will take you directly to the foot of the fortress for only one and a half euros. For car owners, it will be nice to know that there is free parking at the walls of the citadel. Kolossi is a castle-museum. An adult will have to pay two and a half euros for entry. The museum is open seven days a week. However, visiting hours vary depending on the season. The museum always opens at eight in the morning. And the citadel closes its doors from November to March at five in the afternoon, in the off-season - at six in the evening, and in the summer months - at half past seven.
History of Kolossi Castle
The fortress was built by the king of the island of Cyprus, Hugo the First de Lusignan. It happened at the beginning of the thirteenth century. But less than a century later, the mighty Jerusalem Order of St. John took possession of the citadel and founded its commandory here. Monks-knights, called "Hospitallers", were famous not only for redeeming captive Christians from the Saracens. The entrepreneurial streak inherent in the order also manifested itself in Cyprus. At that time, sugar was extracted only from cane. That is why it was worth its weight in gold. The Hospitallers brought reeds from Africa and littered the banks of the local river Kuris with them. In addition, they were engaged in winemaking. Under the hot sun of Cyprus, the berries were dried to the state of raisins and only after that they were processed. This is how the famous Commandaria wine was born. In the fourteenth century, the castle of Kolossi belonged to the no less militant order of the Templars. But when thesethe monks fell out of favor, again returned to the possession of the Hospitallers.
Klossi Castle: description
First of all, it is worth noting that this medieval citadel absolutely does not fit into the southern peaceful landscape of Cyprus. There is something Hamlet in this castle. It seems as if the wizard transferred the gloomy tower from the Danish kingdom to the sun-drenched shore. But the castle was not built for beauty, and the main thing for the architects was not landscape design, but the defense of the fortress. The citadel in the form in which we observe it today was erected in 1454 by a commander with a slightly strange surname - Louis de Magnac. He spared no expense to reconstruct the castle according to the latest fortification construction of that era. The center of the citadel was a twenty-two-meter donjon tower. In plan, it is a square. The donjon has three floors, and the entrance to this building was on the second level. The citadel was fortified with defensive walls, the remains of which are still visible.
Kolossi castle surroundings
Don't rush to get inside the keep. First, take a walk around the citadel. The medieval castle of Kolossi was named after the nearest village. It is worth visiting it and admiring the church of St. Eustathius. It was built in the twelfth century and renovated in the fifteenth. Inside the three-nave room, frescoes of the 15th century have been preserved. Once all the land around the castle belonged to the Hospitallers. On vast farmlands, monk-knightsgrapes and sugarcane were grown. Even now, the ruins of the factory and the remains of the aqueduct can be seen near the walls of the castle. In this place, the cane was processed into sugar. In the middle of the fifteenth century, a property dispute broke out between the Hospitallers and the Venetian Republic, which owned the rights to the Kuris River. The judgment was not in favor of the monks. Deprived of irrigation, cane plantations withered away. Now citrus groves grow in their place. And the Cammandaria wine is still being produced.
Klossi Castle: excursions, expositions
To enjoy visiting the citadel, you should know the basics of fortification art of the Middle Ages. Or join a tour. The guide will draw your attention to those little things that you yourself may not notice. For example, on a narrow spiral staircase. It spins counterclockwise. This was done in such a way that the defender of the castle, rising up, stood on the wide part of the step and had free space for working with his right hand, while the uninvited guest stood on a narrow strip and his sword movements were constrained by the wall. Also, the guide will pay attention to the heraldic emblems of the castle commanders - Lusignan, Jean de Erastic, Jack de Milli, Louis de Maniac.
Self-guided dungeon tour
What should we definitely see if we visit Kolossi Castle without a guide? Once upon a time, the donjon could only be reached by a suspension bridge leading directly to the second floor of the tower. Now the lifting mechanism is destroyed, there are no iron chains. Bridge atreconstruction of the castle and turning it into a museum remained lying on the ground. That is why we start our journey from the cellars of the citadel. There were warehouses, an arsenal and wells. The latter were cut into the rock to a depth of more than ten meters. On the second level there was a kitchen with a huge fireplace and a refectory. A beautiful fresco depicting Kalvaria has been preserved in this room. On the third floor were the chambers of the commander of the order. And on the roof there is still a guard platform with a ledge above the entrance to the castle. From this balcony with cracks in the floor, hot tar and hot olive oil poured on the besiegers of the fortress.
Wine Commandaria
Kolossi Castle is home to the most famous alcoholic brand in Cyprus. Even now, a bottle of Commandaria is the best souvenir of the island. It should be said that the hospitallers used already available local varieties of berries for wine - white "Xynisteri" and red "Mavro". But the secret of the wine's success is not in the blend, but in the recipe. Picked overripe bunches were left to dry in the sun for ten days. Then five more they rested in the shade. Then the berries went under the press. The must fermented in vats for another eight days. After that, the drink was sealed in smoke-treated barrels. As a result of this technological process, the wine gained natural sweetness. But Commandaria is by no means a sugary liquor. The strength of this drink is 15 degrees. Its zest is the "smoky" flavor.
Reviews
Kolossi Castle (Cyprus) is one of the key attractions of the island. That's whyall travelers advise to visit it. If you are a layman in the history of the Middle Ages and fortifications, it is best to come to Kolossi with a guided tour. The castle and the donjon itself may not make the proper impression on people who are not enlightened. There you will not see Empire-style furniture, mummies and other "miracles" that the mass public loves so much.
