Othello castle is the main citadel of Famagusta fortress. It is located in the North-Eastern part of the old town. The length of the city`s fortified walls reached 3 kilometers, but the Othello Castle inside these walls was absolutely impregnable. Its name is not occasional, because in the castle of Othello the events described by Shakespeare in his famous play Othello, took place.
The Lusignan dynasty gained control of Cyprus in 1192. In 1218, Henry I de Lusignan began the construction of this fortress to protect the country`s main port. In 1492, during the reign of the Venetians, the castle was completely reconstructed, taking into account the increased power of artillery. The work was directed by the architect Nicolo Foscari. There is a version that Leonardo da Vinci, who visited Famagusta in 1481, could also take part in the reconstruction of the castle. After the reconstruction, a marble slab with the image of a lion, the symbol of Venice, was installed over the entrance to the castle.
At first, the castle was simply called Castello, which means "Fortress". The name "Othello`s Castle" appeared much later, when William Shakespeare`s play "Othello" became famous all over the world. As you know, the events in the play take place in one of the port cities of Cyprus. The moor Othello was appointed Governor of Cyprus by the Venetians. Because of the storm, Desdemona arrives in Cyprus before her husband, and the main events are already taking place in Cyprus.
Iago assured Othello that his wife had cheated on him with Cassio, and arranged various scenes to make the moor believe. As a result, Othello strangled his wife Desdemona in a fit of jealousy.
This scene in the play Othello sounds like this:
- Have you pray’d tonight, Desdemona?
- Ay, my lord.
- If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.
- Alas, my lord, what do you mean by that?
- Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by:
I would not kill thy unprepared spirit;
No; heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul.
The story that Shakespeare described in his play "Othello", in fact, happened in Famagusta. In 1505, Christopher Moro was appointed Governor of Cyprus. He was a Venetian with white skin, but the name Moro means "black". Therefore, in Shakespeare`s play, the main character Othello became a moor with a black skin color, in the service of the Venetians.
In 1508, Christopher Moro actually killed his wife out of jealousy. Then he was imprisoned, and spent the rest of his life in it. Today Othello Castle is a Museum. Here you can visit the Gothic hall, where, quite likely, the event that Shakespeare later described in his play could have occurred.
