Limassol

Limassol stands on the southern coast of Cyprus, between the sea and the vineyards and estates of the island's interior. Its harbour and castle were linked to one of the turning points of Cypriot history. In 1191 Richard the Lionheart arrived on his way to the Holy Land and conquered the island, bringing Byzantine rule to an end. Cyprus soon passed to the Lusignan dynasty, under which Limassol became a centre of a Latin bishopric.

West of the town, the Hospitallers held the estate of Kolossi, the seat of their Grand Commandery. Sugarcane and vineyards enriched the surrounding estates, and sugar from the district reached distant markets. Yet the harbour also exposed Limassol to attack. Mamluk expeditions struck Cyprus in the 1420s, twice taking the castle and plundering the town. In July 1570, during the Ottoman invasion, Limassol fell without resistance. The town remained small under its new rulers, while the castle and the estates around it recalled its place in the island's medieval history.