This is one of the three castles of the ridge of pentactilos, along with the castles of Buffvento and Cantar. It is also called Ai-Larkos, the Queen Castle or the Twin Castle.
The name under which this castle is best known, he received in honor of St. Hylarion, a hermit monk who moved to Cyprus from the Holy Land and really lived on the western slopes of the Pentactylos in the 4th century. The vernacular Ai-Larkos is the modified name "Hagios Ilarionas" (St. Hilarion).
Castle St. Hilarion was built by the Byzantines in the XI century in a key place in terms of defense. The castle is surrounded by a rocky cliff, access to which is possible only from the south side. During Frankish Board, the castle of St. Hilarion, like the other two, was modernized. He served not only the defensive fortress, but also the summer residence of the Frankish kings of Cyprus - which is why several royal halls were preserved here. The castle was abandoned and destroyed by the Venetians at the end of the 15th century. Since 1974, the construction is located on the occupied part of the island.
The fortress consists of three defensive structures, which are located at three different levels of the mountain. The lower one is surrounded by the Byzantine wall and has seven semicircular towers. Two more towers are located next to the main entrance. At this level, many buildings have been preserved, which mainly housed soldiers and animals.
The second block of the castle is the average level, which consists of the most significant buildings. The remains of the Byzantine church dedicated to St. Hilarion. The church has a large dome supported by eight columns. The frescoes that adorned her interior have not reached this day. To the north of the Church are three rooms dating from the 12th century, and the hall of the XIV century, in which there is an underground pantry, a kitchen and a unique Belvedere with a vaulted roof and pointed arches, from where an amazing look opens. The third and highest level of the castle consists of two blocks: the room at the lower level and the defensive building on the upper. The royal apartments of the XIV century were located in this building, their layout has an elongated shape.
Judging by the preserved architectural elements, it was a magnificent example of Gothic architecture. It is here that the famous “Queen window” is located - a large window in the Gothic style, from where an exciting look opens. Holy Hilarion Castle, like two other castles
Pentadactylos is associated with many local folk tales. According to legend, during the construction of the castle, Queen Regina was especially cruel to workers. When the castle was completed, she ordered the soldiers to throw the workers from the cliff so that they would not betray her secrets to anyone.
Another belief says: during the siege of the castle, the enemies changed one of his soldiers into a pregnant woman who supposedly suffered from fights. The queen ordered to open the gate, and then the enemy’s troops broke into the castle and captured it, and the queen jumped out of the window.
Photo BigCyrus.com.cy
This article was first published in the "Vestnik Cyprus" on August 12, 2023. Part of the information could be outdated.
