Petrinos Castle
| Petronis Castle | |
|---|---|
Petronis Kastro | |
| File:Castle1.jpg Artist's depiction of Petrinos Castle in the Atlos Mountains | |
| General information | |
| Location | Near Aegium |
| Country | Tarsas |
| Current tenants | Keeper of the Crypt |
| Construction started | 1371 |
| Completed | 1391 |
| Inaugurated | 1392 |
| Renovated | 1944 |
Petrinos Castle is a castle built in the historic Valley of Kings near the ruins of the former capital of the Teispid Empire. It was constructed by Kyknos II the Despised in 1371 and completed by 1391. Kyknos was subsequently the first Emperor to be buried in it upon his death that year. Monarchs of the Houses Skleros, Axouch, Sipio, and Glabas are buried here. The structure is notable for being constructed 10,243 feet above sea level on the side of Mount Petros, one of the 12 Mountains of the Apostles.
History
Layout and Design
Petrinos Castle was designed by the church designer Raretios Arangenes and is notable for its church like appearance. The difficulty of reaching the castle and its location above sea level meant that it did not have to survive any sort of protracted siege and was therefore constructed more like a church. In order to offer a stronger natural defense, the castle is also built on an outcropping of the mountain at the mouth of a large cave. The entry steps, which lead up from the road several hundred feet below, were carved directly from the rock and have been rebuilt several times in the castle's life. Three guard posts on each side of the castle were constructed to allow guards to survey the roads below from different angles. The main structure of the castle was seated behind two bronze sheathed doors designed to resist battering rams and other siege equipment. The bronze doors lead directly into the great hall of the structure. Living quarters were constructed for the contingent of guards that staffed the castle for the first two hundred years. The building was modified in 1544 when the first Count of Petrinos was named by Markela I. Guard barracks were turned into rooms for family members. The living quarters encompass the exposed parts of the castle.
The cavern in which the castle is built at the mouth of serves as a large portion of the structure. The great cavern was reinforced and sealed off at the back with large stone pillars and stone walls reinforced with Latin Concrete. Within the cavern, the floor was covered in flagstones in order to smooth it out. Along the cavern walls, individual mausoleums were constructed for each monarch buried there. Inside of these mausoleums each emperor was to be buried.