THE BUFFAVENTO CASTLE
The rooms in the
lower level are both roofed, there is also an under
floor cistern in the gatehouse. Another building on
this level consists is nearly whole left in the
remains of walls, but provides visitors with
wonderful views over the Mesaoria Plain.
The rooms
opposite the entrance were used for storing
provisions and as dormitories. The red bricks on the
arches of gates and rooms signify the Byzantine
style. Once there used to be a church here, but
little of it is preserved.
It takes about 70ft (21m) to climb higher and you
reach the upper level of the castle, roofless
buildings of the highest point. From this position
you will have a panoramic view and on a clear day
you can spot Famagusta, Nicosia, the length of the
panhandle and the Turkish mainland.
A bold, daring
feat of military engineering is using mostly the
limestone rock form the escarpment on which it is
built. Comparing to St Hilarion and Kantara,
Buffavento castle has no defensive structures as the
height of the castle is tremendous.
Similarly like
at St Hilarion, the Venetians neglected Buffavento,
leaving it useless and destroyed the stairways
linking lower and upper level. The stone steps have
only been rebuilt during the 20th century, making
the climb slightly easier.
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