Bufavento Castle in Cyprus

Castle is a part of chains for protecting the island against Arabs with the castles; St.Hilarion and Kantara. Castle was named as Bufavento, means “fearless against wind”, because it is situated on a windy hill. The construction date of Castle is unknown, it is mentioned when brave heart Richard was occupied the Cyprus.

According to some rumours, Isak Komnenus, who declared himself as the king of Cyprus, whose daughter escaped from the Castle and surrendered to Richard. Bufavento has a story like other castles, about a queen who ruled once upon a time in Cyprus. When Cyprus was ruled by knights of Temps, it had a leprous Byzantine princess and also her leprous dog. Princess and her dog imprisoned in Bufavento Castle. After a short time she realized that her dog’s leather was getting better day by day, thereupon princess sees every morning her dog’s cleaning in the lake. So princess goes to the lake every morning and cleans. After getting better entirely, she had the first temple, known as Ayios Ionnis Chrysostomos Monastery, built. Castle was used as prison between the years 1382 and 1368.

The name of Castle is Aslan Şatosu( Lion Chateau) in this time. Castle had lost its importance when it passed to the Venices in 1498. Venices attached more importance to castles along the sea for protecting the island.