BUFFAVENTO CASTLE

Located 950 m above sea level, this edifice (Bufavento Kalesi, Κάστρο Βουφαβέντο/Kastro Voufavento) is the highest and least well-preserved of the three medieval castles on the Pentadactylos. It owes its Italian name of "wind parade" to the often violent gusts that blow here. The oldest fortifications were probably erected by the Byzantines in the ^10th century. At first, the castle had no gates: it was entered by a system of pulleys and ropes. Conquered by Richard the Lionheart in 1191, it was for a long time known as "Lion's Castle". The fortifications were enlarged under the Lusignans, but were mainly used as a prison. In 1368, Jean Visconti, Viscount of Nicosia, was condemned to starve to death here. His only crime: having warned King Peter ^I of Cyprus, who had returned from his crusade in Egypt, of the adulterous relationship between Queen Eleanor of Aragon and Count John of Morphou. The fortifications were dismantled by the Venetians in the ^16th century. After the entrance, near the parking lot, it's a 30-minute climb to the first fortified gate. The path is steep but in good condition. Few vestiges remain apart from the ruins of soldiers' dormitories, warehouses and cisterns inhabited by bats. It takes another 15-20 minutes to reach the summit. The path is equipped with ramps, but some passages are not equipped with railings. You pass the ruins of a chapel before reaching the summit, from where you can enjoy a vast panorama.