History of Limassol castle

History of Limassol castle

Η ιστορία του κάστρου της Λεμεσού

antiquities (object genre)

castles (fortifications)

coastal fortifications

forts

monuments

fortifications

castle

historic building

The Limassol castle consists of a palimpsest of structures. On the exact place a 13th-century church was gradually transformed into the fort we see today. However, until its final form, edifices of distinct roles occupied the site. In chronological order these are a Byzantine basilica, the aforementioned Gothic church, a defensive tower (réduit), storage cellars, prison cells, a police station and finally an archaeological site and museum in recent times. The continuous transition of the role of buildings on the site mirror the political upheaval of Cyprus' history throughout the centuries. Due to the fact that the castle area operates as a focal point of Limassol town in a manifold way, attracted the interest of photographers in the past century.

Το κάστρο Λεμεσού βρίσκεται σε κοντινή απόσταση από το παλαιό λιμάνι της πόλης και θεωρείται ως ένα αρχιτεκτονικά πολύπλοκο μνημείο. Σήμερα λειτουργεί ως μουσείο, φιλοξενώντας τη μεσαιωνική συλλογή του Τμήματος Αρχαιοτήτων και αποτελεί σημείο αναφοράς για τη πόλη. Λόγω της συνεχούς χρήσης του, σχετικά πρόσφατα δόθηκε η ευκαιρία να μελετηθεί διεξοδικά. Όπως φαίνεται από τα αρχαιολογικά τεκμήρια, οι ερευνητές διέκριναν ίχνη κτηρίων διαφορετικών σκοπών και λειτουργιών ανά περιόδους όπως ένας Γοτθικός ναός, ένας πύργος, χώροι αποθήκευσης, κελιά φυλακών, αστυνομικός σταθμός και, φυσικά, μουσείο στη σημερινή εποχή. Ωστόσο οι διάφορες ερμηνείες και ο διάλογος ανάμεσα στους ερευνητές είναι ακόμα ανοικτός. Η περιοχή του κάστρου ανέκαθεν αποτελούσε κέντρο είτε διασκέδασης, είτε εμπορίου της πόλης της Λεμεσού, γεγονός που, κατά τον προηγούμενο αιώνα, προσέλκυε το ενδιαφέρον των φωτογράφων.

UNESCO Chair on Digital Cultural Heritage / Digital Heritage Research Lab Cyprus University of Technology

[1] C. Enlart, L’ Art Gothique et de la Renaissance en Chypre. Paris: Republished translated and edited by David Hunt (London, 1987), 1899. [2] G. Jeffery, A Description of the Historic Monuments of Cyprus: Studies in the Archaeology and Architecture of the Island. Cyprus, 1918. [3] R. Gunnis, Historic Cyprus. A Guide to Its Towns and Villages, Monasteries and Castles. London, 1936. [4] G. Hill, A History of Cyprus, Vol. II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1948. [5] ARDAC, Annual Report of the Department of Antiquities. 1949. [6] ARDAC, Annual Report of the Department of Antiquities. 1950. [7] ARDAC, Annual Report of the Department of Antiquities. 1951. [8] ARDAC, Annual Report of the Department of Antiquities. 1953. [9] A. H. S. Megaw, “The Arts in Cyprus: B. Military Architecture,” in A History of the Crusades, vol. 2, N. P. Setton, K. M., Hazard, H. W., Zacour, Ed. University of Wisconsin Press, 1977. [10] G. Perbellini, “Le fortificazioni del regno di Cipro nello stato Veneto (X-XVI sec.),” KS, vol. 49, pp. 193–225, 1985. [11] K. Molin, Unknown Crusader Castles. Hambledon - New York - London, 2001. [12] H. Procopiou, To Kastro tis Lemesou, in Lemesos: Taksidi stous Chronous mias polis, T. Marangou, A. G., Kolotas, Ed. Limassol: Limassol Municipality Press, 2006, pp. 185–190. [13] J. S. Petre, Crusader Castles of Cyprus: The Fortifications of Cyprus Under The Lusignans: 1191-1489. Nicosia: Cyprus Research Centre, Texts and Studies in the History of Cyprus LXIX, 2012. [14] M. Olympios, “Rummaging through Ruins: Architecture in Limassol in the Lusignan and Venetian Periods,” in Lemesos. A History of Limassol in Cyprus from Antiquity to the Ottoman Conques, C. Nicolaou-Konnari, Angel, Schabel, Ed. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015, pp. 362–500. [15] C. Corvisier, “Le château de Limassol, ancienne chapelle du Temple?,” in L’ Art Gothique en Chypre, P. Vaivre, J-B. de, Plagnieux, Ed. 2006, pp. 395–399. [16] N. Corvisier, C., Faucherre, “Une chapelle templière dans la redoute turque? L’énigme archéologique du château de Limassol en Chypre,” in Utilis est lapis in structura. Mélanges offerts à Léon Pressouyre, 2000, pp. 345–371. [17] Procopiou, E., (with I. Nicolaou and A. Destrooper), Lemesos. Odos Zik-Zak. Ekthesi Apotelesmaton Sostikis Anaskafikis Ereunas 1993, RDAC, pp. 285–322, 1997.

UNESCO Chair on Digital Cultural Heritage / Digital Heritage Research Lab Cyprus University of Technology

Photograph of the Interior of Limassol Castle
Photograph of Limassol Medieval Castle / Museum
Photograph of Gothic Hall at Lemesos Castle
Photograph of Limassol Medieval Castle
Photograph of Limassol Medieval Castle by night
Photograph of Medieval Castle at Eirinis Street
Photograph of Medieval Castle at Eirinis Street
Photograph of Medieval Castle at Eirinis Street (1930)
Photograph of Medieval Castle at Eirinis Street (1930)
Photograph of Medieval Castle at Eirinis Street (1960)
Photograph of Medieval Castle at Eirinis Street (1950)
Photograph of Medieval Castle at Eirinis Street (1980)
Photograph of Makarios Archbishop of Cyprus visit the Medival Castle (1964)
Photograph of Flagstaff at Medieval Castle for the crown of Queen Elizabeth of England (1953)
Photograph of Medieval Castle at Eirinis Street (2000)
Images of Limassol castle's point cloud
Flythrough video presenting Limassol castle's point cloud
Limassol Castle

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Documentation of the history of Limassol castle.

Αναδρομή στην μακραίωνη ιστορία του κάστρου της Λεμεσού.

13th century

Europeana Archaeology - CARARE

Twin it! 3D for Europe's culture

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Frourion Lemesou

Frankish (1191-1489)

Venetian (1489-1571)

Ottoman (1571-1878)

British (1878-1960)

Modern (1960-2008)

Medieval European (1200-1499)