The Castle of Rezzonico is the concrete sign of the fortified village of Rezzonico that overlooks Lake Como.
Built in the fourteenth century (1363) by the Counts Della Torre, the Castle of Rezzonico is similar for the type to the castle of Corenno Plinio in the town of Dervio.The castle covers an area of about two thousand square meters and within its walls there were houses and the main tower. It was not a royal castle as in the fairy tale, but an important fortification.It is said that the castle was built on top of an earlier fortification, of which today traces remain in the two gates to the town of Rezzonico.
Della Torre family, owner of the castle, is a family with a long dynasty, divided into several branches, including the one of Venice where we find the figure of Pope John XIII, also known as Papa Rezzonico, and the branch of Como with figures of captains and writers, among them emerges the dialect poet Giovanni Rezzonico.
Currently the castle is still a private property: of a French family for over a century, so no visits inside are available. It is used as a location for weddings or private events.
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.