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 (3 years 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 (3 years ago)
Nice place to visit. Kid enjoyed it. No entry fee. Could be nice if some historic information were displayed.

Jere Lehtila (3 years 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 (3 years 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 (3 years 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.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Honza Soukup

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Angelokastro

Angelokastro is a Byzantine castle on the island of Corfu. It is located at the top of the highest peak of the island"s shoreline in the northwest coast near Palaiokastritsa and built on particularly precipitous and rocky terrain. It stands 305 m on a steep cliff above the sea and surveys the City of Corfu and the mountains of mainland Greece to the southeast and a wide area of Corfu toward the northeast and northwest.

Angelokastro is one of the most important fortified complexes of Corfu. It was an acropolis which surveyed the region all the way to the southern Adriatic and presented a formidable strategic vantage point to the occupant of the castle.

Angelokastro formed a defensive triangle with the castles of Gardiki and Kassiopi, which covered Corfu"s defences to the south, northwest and northeast.

The castle never fell, despite frequent sieges and attempts at conquering it through the centuries, and played a decisive role in defending the island against pirate incursions and during three sieges of Corfu by the Ottomans, significantly contributing to their defeat.

During invasions it helped shelter the local peasant population. The villagers also fought against the invaders playing an active role in the defence of the castle.

The exact period of the building of the castle is not known, but it has often been attributed to the reigns of Michael I Komnenos and his son Michael II Komnenos. The first documentary evidence for the fortress dates to 1272, when Giordano di San Felice took possession of it for Charles of Anjou, who had seized Corfu from Manfred, King of Sicily in 1267.

From 1387 to the end of the 16th century, Angelokastro was the official capital of Corfu and the seat of the Provveditore Generale del Levante, governor of the Ionian islands and commander of the Venetian fleet, which was stationed in Corfu.

The governor of the castle (the castellan) was normally appointed by the City council of Corfu and was chosen amongst the noblemen of the island.

Angelokastro is considered one of the most imposing architectural remains in the Ionian Islands.

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