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Founded: 1250-1270Category: Religious sites in France
Historical period: Late Capetians (France)
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The Chapelle Sainte Catherine is a Roman Catholic chapel located in Hombourg-Haut, in the historic region of Lorraine.
Built by the knight Simon of Hombourg between 1250 and 1270, it initially was a private chapel, surrounded by the buildings of the knights' castle. Its towers and walls made up the outer part of a big medieval castle. The chapel was renovated in 1706, 1897 and 1984.
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.