Alange Castle was built by the Arabs in the 9th century on a rocky hill, over the Matachel River, on the banks of the Alange reservoir. This defence fortress is at a strategic point from which access to the Silver Way was controlled. Its inaccessibility makes it a privileged place. It was witness to numerous battles and sieges between Moors and Christians.
The castle was conquered by Christians during Reconquista in the mid-13th century. It was abandoned in 1550. Although the castle was a great fortress, nowadays only three towers and the keep, made of strong brick walls and with numerous windows with horseshoe-shaped arches, remain. Some wells from the Islamic period are also preserved.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.