Othello Castle was originally built as a moated citadel by the House of Lusignan in the 14th century to protect Famagusta's harbour, and was originally the main entrance to the town. The tower was restored 3 years after Cyprus was sold to the Republic of Venice, under the command of captain Nicolo Foscari. After the restoration the Lion of St. Marcus was engraved on the entrance, along with captain Nicolo Foscari's name and the date (1492). The castle gets its name from Shakespeare's famous play Othello, which is set in a harbour town in Cyprus. In 1566 the castle was moved to the prison.
Othello castle also has a refectory and a dormitory constructed during the Lusignan period. In the courtyard, there are old cannons lying on the ground. One of them is made of bronze and is over 400 years old. There are some iron cannon balls lying about, as well as some stone balls that would have been used in a trebuchet. It is rumoured that the Venetian merchants, during the Ottoman siege, hid their fortunes down here and sealed the tunnels up. As they were not allowed to take anything with them when they were allowed to leave the city, these treasures are still supposed to be there.
References:The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.
The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.
The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.