Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the monastery called it
Abbaye de la Paix
(Abbey of Peace), from which the corrupted
version of the name, Bellapais, evolved.
The original structure, built between 1198 and 1205, was augmented between 1267 and
1284, during the reign of Hugh III. The cloisters and large refectory were added after that
by Hugh IV (1324-59), and these embellishments are most of what remains today.
The 13th-century
church
is in fine condition, and remains much as it was in 1976,
when the last of the stoic Orthodox faithful had to leave.
Behind, is the 14th-century
cloister
lined with towering cypress trees and rimmed with
Gothic arched arcades that have survived the centuries almost intact. From here there are
stairs up to the rooftop where you can savour tumbling views across the plains down to
the sea. On the western side of the cloister is the kitchen court which has all but a few
walls remaining.
The
refectory
on the north side of the cloister is frequently used for gatherings, events
and wedding photos. Note the lintel above the main entrance with its Lasignan coat of
arms.
Home of Lawrence Durrell
NOTABLE BUILDING
(admission 13TL;
h
11.30am-1pm Sep)
A yellow plaque above the door marks the house where Lawrence Durell lived in the early
1950s, forever marking Bellapais on the literary map with his descriptions of the village's
idyllic, mixed-community life in his memoir
Bitter Lemons of Cyprus
.
To reach the house, follow the signs uphill for 200m on the main street, to the right of
Huzur Ağaç (Tree of Idleness) Restaurant. The house is now a private residence and is
only open to visitors during September.
THE TREE OF IDLENESS
When writer Lawrence Durrell took up residence in Bellapais (Beylerbeyi) between 1953 and 1956, he little real-
ised the minor controversy he would leave behind almost 50 years later. His famous book
Bitter Lemons of
Cyprus
described life in the then blissfully bucolic mixed community and his trials and tribulations while pur-
chasing and renovating a house in the village, along with the intrigues and gossip of local life.
Among the villagers' favourite activities was spending many hours in idle conversation under the so-called
'Tree of Idleness', which dominated the main square. However, throughout the topic, Durrell never once men-
tioned what kind of tree it was. Maybe it was a plane, or a mulberry, or perhaps an oak?
Today there are two trees that vie for the title. One is a leafy mulberry tree, overshadowing the coffee shop
next to the monastery ticket office. The other contender, hardly 20m away, is a Robinia casting shade over the
Huzur Ağaç (Tree of Idleness) Restaurant. In fairness, both trees qualify for the role pretty well: both have their
