Kuusisto Castle

Kaarina, Finland

Kuusisto Castle was a medieval episcopal castle built in the beginning of the 14th century. It was the main residence of Finnish Catholic bishops until 1522, when the last bishop Arvid Kurki drowned when fleeing from Danish soldiers.

Kuusisto heyday was in the in the beginning of the 15th century, when bishop Maunu Tawast spent lot of time and money to enlarge the castle. The castle was ordered to be demolished during the Protestant Reformation in 1528 by the king Gustav I of Sweden. Stones of the castle were later used in renovations of Turku and Kastelholma castles.

Excavation and reconstruction work on the remaining ruins began in 1891.

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Details

Founded: ca. 1300
Category: Castles and fortifications in Finland
Historical period: Middle Ages (Finland)

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Lenitta (3 years ago)
S place with a colourful history (information signs provided) and incredibly beautiful views. Also, the ruins provide many nooks and crannies to explore. Worth a visit if you're in the area.
Eeva Nikkari (3 years ago)
Interesting old castle ruins. Didn’t know these existed
Zoe Morgan (3 years ago)
Fascinating ruins in a really beautiful setting.
Eeva H. (4 years ago)
Cool place! I wish parking was closer though. The ruins were interesting with all the elevations, and the view from the top parts was great. The day was hot when we went there, so it would've been nice if the kiosk was open, but it wasn't. A nice, short sight-seeing trip. Our cat Muossi enjoyed it too. :D
Madiha Hussain (4 years ago)
Its a nice place but public transport is not really accessible unless its a weekday. Its a one hour walk from the nearest bus stop on a weeked. I also wish more historical information was available in each of the different sections. There is only one main information board with names of all the rooms and the floor map but it would be nice if the individual rooms/areas had a sign indicating what was the name and the history of the place.
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The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.