Overview
A reminder of Cyprus’s crusading history, the Kolossi Medieval Castle in Limassol served as a stopping point for knights heading to Jerusalem.
Originally built in the thirteenth century, the castle served as a grand command centre for the Knights of the Order of St. John. In the fourteenth century, the castle was reconstructed and occupied by the Knights Templar.
During their stay in Cyprus, the Knights produced and exported a sweet wine which became known as the ‘vin de Commanderie’. Today, Commandaria wine is one of the island’s traditional wines and one of the oldest appellations in the world, having had the same name for eight centuries.
The castle today consists of a single three-storey with an attached rectangular enclosure or bailey about 30 by 40 metres. Next to the castle are the ruins of a fourteenth-century sugar mill.
Kolossi Castle appears in literature from around the world and particularly in many works of fiction, including La milicia de Dios by the Spanish writer Eduardo García-Ontiveros Cerdeño. It also appears in Snow Wasted by the Cypriot author Matthew Malekos and in the novels of several British writers, including Race of Scorpions: The House of Noccolo by Dorothy Dunnett, In Search of Sixpence by Michael Paraskos and Lionheart by Stewart Binns.
Kolossi Castle is open all year round, but is closed on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and on Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday. The entrance fee is €2.50 per person.
Note: Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
