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Founded: 13th centuryCategory: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Late Capetians (France)
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The Château des Quat'Sos name is of Gascon origin, describing the identical appearance of the four corner towers, the 'Four Sisters'. The castle is located on the promontory overlooking the confluence of the Garonne and the tributary Charros.
In 1224, permission was granted by King Louis VIII of France to build a castle. The castle was completed by King Henry III of England, while Duke of Aquitaine, to defend the English Duchy of Gascony. During the Hundred Years' War, the castle was fiercely disputed between English and French.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.