Buffavento (castle)
| Buffavento | ||
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| Alternative name (s): | Löwenburg | |
| Castle type : | Summit castle | |
| Place: | Bellapais Abbey | |
| Geographical location | 35 ° 17 '15 " N , 33 ° 24' 34" E | |
| Height: | 954 m | |
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The castle Buffavento (from the Italian buffa di vento - gust) is the ruins of a medieval hilltop castle in Pentadaktylos -Gebirge in Cyprus .
It is located on the mountain summit of the same name (at 954 m the second highest mountain in the Pentadactylos ) and is also called Löwenburg (from the Greek Leontas ), is next to Kantara and St. Hilarion one of three castles in the Pentadactylos. Of these three castles, it is the one with the worst conservation status. It is located on a steep cliff that is very difficult to access near Bellapais Abbey , the journey is about 17 km from Kyrenia (Girne) and 28 km from Nicosia . From the fortress you have a magnificent view of the north coast of Cyprus with Keryneia, the Mesaoria plain and the St. Hilarion fortress.
Access
At the top of the pass between Girne and Famagusta , the path branches off, which winds its way along the southern slope of the mountain past light clusters of pine , laurel , pistachio and carob trees. An approx. 7 km long, bumpy forest path , which can also be tackled on foot , leads from the parking lot to a small plateau in the shade of an olive tree . From here it is only a further 40 minutes on foot. steep uphill to the castle.
history
The story is similar to the history of the castles Kantara and St. Hilarion, which were also built in the 10th century. Buffavento was used as the middle of the three castles for signal transmission and later also used as a prison . After arriving in Cyprus in 1191, Guidos de Lusignan began the siege of the castle on behalf of Richard the Lionheart , which soon fell into his hands due to a lack of loyalty to the governor Isaac Komnenos . Buffavento was used by Henri II as a prison for his brother Amalrich and a prince from Galilee from the d ' Ibelin family . Even Peter I. imprisoned here in 1368 his court marshal Jean de Visconte one. In 1385 the brothers Perot and Wilmot de Montlif, suspected of conspiracy against James I , were also imprisoned here.
Appearance
Buffavento has two fortified zones, the upper castle at a height of 954 m on the summit and the lower castle on a ledge about 30 m below. The fortress hugs the rocks. Around the year 1000, under Emperor Alexios I (Byzantium), the first buildings to strengthen the island's defense were built. Residential buildings, storage rooms, cisterns, guard rooms, dungeons and observation platforms were built on the extremely steep terrain, which made complex fortifications superfluous. Expanded by the Lusignans in the 14th century , Buffavento served the rulers as a place of refuge in times of crisis, place of exile, state prison and also continued to serve as a military observation and signal post. But already neglected under the Lusignans, the buildings were razed under Venetian rule.
Lower castle
After a difficult climb, you come to the entrance tower, the only access to the castle. The right side of the entrance tower rests on the adjoining rock and in the jagged inner courtyard, retaining walls prevent the ground from slipping, and the parapet on the slope edge , which used to have battlements , also has a supporting function. Two coarsely bricked buildings, which can be reached by stairs, are adjacent: a square building with barrel vaults offers a long balcony over the abyss, the larger, second building with an interior space of almost 50 m² has openings in the floor, presumably access to cisterns . A third ruin dates from the Byzantine period. From the originally two-story residential building, three ground floor rooms can still be identified. A round bay window forms the southwest corner directly on the steep slope of the former magnificent building ( viewpoint ). The thick-walled rubble of a cistern are just below the rockfall, as are the remains of a former outwork or stable building .
Oberburg
140 steps lead up to the upper castle and thus overcome approx. 30 meters in altitude in the almost vertical rock. A handrail provides support and hold for the hands. The Oberburg is a narrow summit plateau with brittle, medieval buildings. When the visibility is good, the Karaman Sea , the Turkish Taurus Mountains , on the other side of the approximately 80 km wide strait, and on the other side the Mesarya Plain, Nikcosia and the Troodos Mountains. The peaks of the Pentadaktylos connect on both sides of the Buffavento.
The remains of a building stand on a head-high rock pedestal in the center of the plateau, presumably a shelter for members of the royal family. Only the foundation walls remain of the adjacent buildings, presumably the barracks for the guards of the upper castle. On the north side, the remains of four rooms from the Byzantine period stretch along the abyss. The northern tip of the plateau lies like a viewing terrace above the steep slope, and immediately below, fitted into the stony terrain, there is another cistern.
Literature description
The German traveler Franz von Höher visited the castle ruins in 1878 and wrote: “Even in Spain and southern Italy I don't know of any castle ruins that could be compared to Buffavento in terms of rugged boldness, size of the building and romantic wild charm. I now began to climb the enormous rock pyramid, which, girded by sharp points and spikes, stood against the sky ... We entered an arched castle gate, which was still quite intact, and came slowly higher from one building, crumbling into ruins, to another ... Everything was soldered to the rock with tough mortar ... It is a strange feeling to roam such a desolate world of ruins high in the air that no one has touched for years ... But the rock pyramid still blocked one side of the sky ... We searched in vain a walkable path ... By snuggling back and forth against the stone walls, we climbed the highest slab of rock earlier than I thought, on which the uppermost wall stood ... The view was rewarding but beyond measure ... "
Surroundings
- The famous Chrysostomos Monastery is just 3 km away at 570 m above sea level below the castle . The hl. Neofytos is said to have started his spiritual career here when he was 18 years old. A visit is not possible because this monastery is located in the restricted military area and is used as barracks .
- According to legend, the place Kythrea goes back to a foundation by Chydros , son of Akamas and was called Chydri in ancient times. In addition to a Bronze Age burial ground , remains of the acropolis and a temple of Aphrodite , a famous bronze statue of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus was found here. The Kefalovryson spring , which once supplied the city of Salamis, 60 km away, with water is also nearby .
Web links
- Buffavento Castle On: schwarzweiss.de
- Buffavento Castle On: burgenwelt.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.schwarzaufweiss.de/Nordz Demokratie/ buffavento1.htm
- ↑ http://www.schwarzaufweiss.de/Nordz Demokratie/ buffavento1.htm
- ↑ http://www.burgenwelt.de/dickemauern/buffavento/index.htm
- ↑ http://www.schwarzaufweiss.de/Nordz Demokratie/ buffavento1.htm
- ↑ http://www.schwarzaufweiss.de/Nordz Demokratie/ buffavento1.htm
- ↑ http://www.schwarzaufweiss.de/Nordz Demokratie/ buffavento1.htm
- ↑ http://www.schwarzaufweiss.de/Nordz Demokratie/ buffavento1.htm
- ↑ Astrid Feltes-Peter (arr.): Cyprus. Baedeker, Ostfildern 2001, ISBN 3-87504-419-3 .