5/5 Andy N. 1 year ago on Google
A
royal
palace
built
around
1300
by
the
Lusignan
Kings
of
Cyprus
across
from
St
Nicholas
Cathedral.
It
was
used
as
living
accommodation
until
the
reign
of
Peter
II
in
1369,
when
it
was
partially
destroyed
by
earthquakes,
the
central
sections
of
the
palace
completely
demolished,
and
only
its
grand
façade
and
back
courtyard
walls
surviving.
The
Venetians
moved
the
capital
of
Cyprus
from
Nicosia
to
Famagusta
and
greatly
renovated
the
palace
ruins
in
1552
–
1554,
transforming
the
Gothic
style
features
and
replacing
them
with
Italian
Renaissance
architecture.
It
was
then
used
as
the
residence
of
the
Venetian
Military
Governor,
the
Proveditore.
The
palace
was
an
immense
building
and
stood
to
remind
the
population
of
Venetian
power
and
influence.
The
door
to
the
palace
opened
up
onto
what
was
once
the
largest
central
square
in
all
of
Europe.
The
final
inhabitant
of
the
Palazzo
del
Proveditore
in
1569
was
the
appointed
Captain
General
of
Famagusta,
Marco
Antonio
Bragadin,
who
led
the
Venetian
resistance
to
the
Ottoman
conquest
that
began
in
1570.
He
was
famously
killed
in
August
1571,
enduring
a
slow
death,
starting
with
the
carving
of
his
ears,
after
the
Ottomans
took
the
city,
the
fall
of
which
signalled
the
end
of
Western
presence
in
Cyprus
for
the
next
300
years.
During
Ottoman
rule,
structures
of
the
palace
were
used
as
military
barracks,
a
prison
and
as
a
site
for
military
drills.
Under
British
rule,
the
building
was
used
for
similar
policing
purposes.
Architecture
The
Venetian
Palace
was
largely
destroyed
by
the
Ottomans,
but
what
little
remains
is
impressive,
and
is
a
rare
example
of
Renaissance
architecture
in
Cyprus,
at
the
time
of
Michelangelo
and
Leonardo
da
Vinci.
The
most
noticeable
surviving
parts
are
the
front
façade,
with
its
three
arches,
mirroring
the
triumphal
archways
of
ancient
Rome,
supported
by
four
genuine
Roman
columns
raided
from
the
ruins
of
the
old
nearby
city
of
Salamis.
Behind
the
façade
are
several
arches
that
run
parallel,
much
plainer
in
comparison,
potential
remnants
of
the
original
Lusignan
palace.
Above
the
central
arch
a
coat
of
arms
can
be
seen,
those
of
Giovanni
Renier,
the
Italian
Governor
of
Cyprus
at
the
time
in
1557.
Further
in
you’ll
find
a
chapel
and
L-shaped
wall
that
dates
to
the
Venetian
era.
Small
rooms
facing
the
courtyard
have
been
used
as
prisons
or
arsenals.
The
courtyard
exhibits
military
equipment
including
modern
cannons
and
cannonballs
as
well
as
ancient
columns
and
sculptures,
a
delightful
scenic
spot
to
have
a
break
when
touring
Famagusta.
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