Château de Médavy is a beautiful 18th century castle with classical architecture inspired in particular by Mansart (Versailles’ architect). Current main building was erected between 1705 and 1724 for Jacques-Léonor Rouxel de Médavy, marshal of France. The entirety was refurbished between 1754 and 1789 by Pierre Thiroux de Monregard, superintendent of the French relays and postal service.
The guided tour allows visitors to discover an elegant stairway, rooms decorated with pieces of French eighteenth century furniture, and portraits of previous owners such as the countess of Thiroux de Monregard painted by Louis-Michel Van Loo (Louis XVth court portraitist). Finally, two well-endowed chart rooms shelter Spanish cabinets as well as a collection of globes and atlases from the XVI to the XVIII century.
Outdoors (non-guided), two superb pathways, lined by lime trees, offer a pleasant walk along the Orne river. One of the towers has been transformed into a chapel and African works of art are exposed in the dovecote.
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.