Description of the attraction
The beautiful old Buffavento Castle is located on one of the mountain peaks in the northern part of Cyprus near the city of Girne (Kyrenia) at an altitude of 950 meters above sea level. Thanks to this, he got his poetic name, which in Italian means "protection from the winds" or "defied the wind."
This structure was built in the Kyrenia mountains between the castles of Kantar and St. Hilarion in order to protect the territories from Arab raids. Thanks to this arrangement of defensive structures, it was quite easy to control the most important mountain passages - a special warning system was established between the castles using signal lights.
According to historians, the castle was originally built by the Byzantines in the 11th century. Later, after the territory fell under the control of the Lusignans in the 14th century, Buffavento was rebuilt and fortified. It was the French who began to use it as a prison for especially dangerous criminals, which was called the "Lion's Castle". According to some sources, most of the prisoners starved to death there. However, after a short time, when Buffavento passed into the hands of the Venetians, it ceased to play such a significant role in the defense of the territory and was gradually abandoned.
Buffavento consisted of two levels - on the lower one there were barracks and storage rooms, which could be accessed through a large arched gate. About a 20-minute walk from the gate was the upper level, where the rest of the buildings, including the chapel, were located.
Unfortunately, only ruins remain of the castle today. However, this place is worth visiting - the view that opens from there is truly mesmerizing.
