Kolossi Castle

Major General Sir Matthew William Edward Gosset entered the army in 1856, fought in Egypt, Burma, India the Zulu and Boer war and travelled extensively in the Middle East 1870-1892. His watercolours come from an album which he compiled of scenes from India, the Middle East and Scotland between 1873 and 1891. Kolossi castle was built by the Templers in the 12th century and it is associated with the arrival of Richard the Lionheart in Cyprus. Legend has it that Richard left his wife Berengaria in Kolossi castle to wait for his return from the Holy Land. Another story wants the Queen of Cyprus to have been granted ownership not only of the castle but also of the land as far as her eyes could see from its rooftop. A medieval sugar refinery stands next to the castle. The complex is surrounded by a high wall. The artist has also painted a couple of villagers on their donkeys to give an idea of scale. At the left hand corner, under the palm tree, one can distinguish one of the most frequently encountered cactuses in Cyprus. They are commonly known as papoutsosyka, or otherwise, figues de Barbarie, or prickly pears.