Savonlinna, Finland is home to Olavinlinna, a three-tower fortress from the fifteenth century. Situated in the Kyrönsalmi strait, which links the lakes Haukivesi and Pihlajavesi, the building is situated on an island. It is the last surviving example of a medieval stone fortress in the north. First held in the summer of 1912, the Savonlinna Opera Festival takes place on a magnificent stage provided by the castle. Under the name Sankt Olofsborg, Erik Axelsson Tott established the castle in 1475, hoping to capitalize on the political unrest that followed the conquest of the Novgorod Republic by Ivan III. It was the first Swedish castle to be equipped with a series of round, thickset towers resistant to cannon fire. After the completion of the three-towered keep in 1485, work on the outer curtain walls with their two towers began right once. 1495 saw their completion. With the keep on the western side of the island and the outer bailey and curtain walls on the eastern side, the castle resembles a truncated rhomboid. St. Eriks Tower, one of the towers of the Keep, had a weak base and eventually collapsed. The Thick Tower, one of the towers of Bailoey, blew apart in the eighteenth century. On its place, a bastion has been constructed. The castle was rebuilt with bastions into a late eighteenth-century fort reminiscent of Vaubanesque architecture. In the 19th century, the castle suffered numerous destructive fires that destroyed most of its original furnishings and décor. The castle is home to a number of modest exhibitions. The Castle Museum features relics related to or found within the castle, while the Orthodox Museum features religious artifacts and icons from both Finland and Russia
[Information and Image Credit : Olavinlinna, Wikipedia]
[Wikipedia-Link : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olavinlinna ]
[Image: The castle has three towers remaining – Olavinlinna; Wikipedia-Image-Author : Miraceti]
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#Castles#History
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Monuments and Architecture
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