Built in the 13th century by the lords of Poudenas, vassals of Edward I Plantagenet, Duke of Aquitaine and King of England, the Château de Poudenas defended the valley of the Gélise, overlooking it by 50 meters, at the opening of the Landes Forest.
A military fortification until the 16th century, the castle was then adorned with mullioned windows, opening the keep to the north and south. A hundred years later, a complete redesign adorned the inner courtyard with two terraces each supported by four arcades, and the main facade with a triple gallery reminiscent of an Italian villa and its landscape.
The monument has been classified as a historic monument since August 22, 1984, for its facades and roofs of the keep and the buildings surrounding the main courtyard, its south facade with its gallery and terraces, its corresponding roof, its terrace in front of the castle facade, its stone staircase with straight flights, its fireplace in the grand salon and reception room, and its surrounding wall. It has also been listed since May 26, 1952, for the rest of its facades and roofs.
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.