Kolossi Castle Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Kolossi Castle
(Greek: Κάστρο του Κολοσσιού)
Kolossi Castle
General information
Architectural style	Gothic
Town or city	Limassol
Country	Cyprus
Coordinates	34°39′55″N 32°56′02″E / 34.665273°N 32.933957°E / 34.665273; 32.933957
Completed	1454

Kolossi Castle is an old castle in Cyprus, near the city of Limassol. It was built a long time ago by a group of knights called the Knights Hospitaller. This castle was very important in the Middle Ages because of its location. It also had big areas for making sugar from sugarcane, which was one of Cyprus's main products back then.

A Look Back at Kolossi Castle
What the Castle Looks Like Today
The Famous Commandaria Wine
Kolossi Castle in Books
Gallery
See also

A Look Back at Kolossi Castle

The first castle here was probably built around 1210. This was when King Hugh I of Cyprus gave the land of Kolossi to the Knights Hospitaller, who were a military and religious group.

The castle you see today was built much later, in 1454. It was built by the Hospitallers again, under a leader named Louis de Magnac. You can even see his family's symbol carved into the castle walls!

For a short time, another group of knights, the Knights Templar, took over the castle in 1306. But it was given back to the Hospitallers in 1313. This happened after the Templars were no longer allowed to exist.

What the Castle Looks Like Today

Today, Kolossi Castle is a single, tall tower with three floors. It also has a rectangular area around it, like a yard, which is about 30 by 40 meters. This area is called a bailey.

The Famous Commandaria Wine

Besides sugar, the area around Kolossi Castle is also famous for a sweet wine called Commandaria. People say that after King Richard the Lionheart got married in nearby Limassol, he called this wine the "wine of kings and the king of wines."

This wine has been made in the region for thousands of years. It is thought to be the oldest wine in the world that has been made and named continuously. For centuries, it has been known as "Commandaria" because the Knights Templar had a big headquarters there called a "Grand Commandery."

Kolossi Castle in Books

Kolossi Castle has appeared in many stories and books. For example, it is in La milicia de Dios by Eduardo García-Ontiveros Cerdeño. It also shows up in Snow Wasted by Matthew Malekos. Several British writers have included it in their novels too, such as Race of Scorpions: The House of Noccolo by Dorothy Dunnett, In Search of Sixpence by Michael Paraskos, and Lionheart by Stewart Binns.