Kuusisto Castle, Kaarina, Finland

Kuusisto Castle was a medieval episcopal castle built in the beginning of the 14th century. It was the main residence of Finnish Catholic bishops until 1522, when the last bishop Arvid Kurki drowned when fleeing from Danish soldiers.

Kuusisto heyday was in the in the beginning of the 15th century, when bishop Maunu Tawast spent lot of time and money to enlarge the castle. The castle was ordered to be demolished during the Protestant Reformation in 1528 by the king Gustav I of Sweden. Stones of the castle were later used in renovations of Turku and Kastelholma castles.

Excavation and reconstruction work on the remaining ruins began in 1891.

User Reviews

Phil Oleynik (8 months ago)
Despite the ruins are not as impressive as the castle itself would be, I can only address this notice to the Swedish people who destroyed it by the order of the King Gustav Vasa. On the site there are multiple boards with historical description and truly nice drawings of the castle as it was centuries ago. Nearby is one of the oldest log houses in Finland.

Sumudu Samarakoon (9 months ago)
Nice place to visit. Kid enjoyed it. No entry fee. Could be nice if some historic information were displayed.

Jere Lehtila (9 months ago)
Free visit which includes few trails in the forrest and the old castle site that was definitely worth to visit. The site is clean and there is a cafe & bathrooms, so you can spend some time there if you want. The castle ruins history takes you back in to early 14th century.

Ossi Sariola (10 months ago)
Historical site, beautiful nature, a short trip from the highway.... A great place to picnic or stop by. Otherwise, not very developed or informative site.

Niko van Eeghen (11 months ago)
Nice place to walk around, and sit by the sea. Not much to do though, so after 20 mins you will likely be done. There is a place to grill if you feel like it, but I couldn't spot any wood to burn.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright szeke

Historic Site of the week

Church of Our Lady before Týn

The Church of Our Lady before Týn is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires.

In the 11th century, this area was occupied by a Romanesque church, which was built there for foreign merchants coming to the nearby Týn Courtyard. Later it was replaced by an early Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn in 1256. Construction of the present church began in the 14th century in the late Gothic style under the influence of Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler. By the beginning of the 15th century, construction was almost complete; only the towers, the gable and roof were missing. The church was controlled by Hussites for two centuries, including John of Rokycan, future archbishop of Prague, who became the church's vicar in 1427. The roof was completed in the 1450s, while the gable and northern tower were completed shortly thereafter during the reign of George of Poděbrady (1453–1471). His sculpture was placed on the gable, below a huge golden chalice, the symbol of the Hussites. The southern tower was not completed until 1511, under architect Matěj Rejsek.

After the lost Battle of White Mountain (1620) began the era of harsh recatholicisation (part of the Counter-Reformation). Consequently, the sculptures of 'heretic king' George of Poděbrady and the chalice were removed in 1626 and replaced by a sculpture of the Virgin Mary, with a giant halo made from by melting down the chalice. In 1679 the church was struck by lightning, and the subsequent fire heavily damaged the old vault, which was later replaced by a lower baroque vault.

Renovation works carried out in 1876–1895 were later reversed during extensive exterior renovation works in the years 1973–1995. Interior renovation is still in progress.

The northern portal is a wonderful example of Gothic sculpture from the Parler workshop, with a relief depicting the Crucifixion. The main entrance is located on the church's western face, through a narrow passage between the houses in front of the church.

The early baroque altarpiece has paintings by Karel Škréta from around 1649. The oldest pipe organ in Prague stands inside this church. The organ was built in 1673 by Heinrich Mundt and is one of the most representative 17th-century organs in Europe.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!

Kuusisto Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Must-see historic sighs in Luxembourg

Top historic sights of Istria

Best castles to visit in Slovakia

Historic Site of the week

Church of Our Lady before Týn

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?