Rapola Castle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rapola Castle (Rapolan linnavuori in Finnish) is a Finnish castle in Valkeakoski, Finland. Unlike other medieval castles in Finland, it has probably been built by native Finns in their struggle against invading Novgorod and Sweden. Possible chieftain of the castle called "king of Rapola" (Rapolan kuningas) is mentioned in a papal letter from 1340 in which he and other rebelling local men were excommunicated.

According to excavations, the castle seems to have been in operation during the 13th and 15th centuries. Parts of it may be even earlier, since the area has been inhabited already in the 7th century.

The castle was partly constructed on a natural hill that was eventually entirely fortified. Remains of the earth walls are still visible. The castle was 400 meters long and 200 meters wide.

[edit] External links

• Rapola Castle at the Finnish National Board of Antiquities

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 61.20655° 24.076109°
  • Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
  • Aerial image from TerraServer
  • Satellite image from WikiMapia