⭐ Travel Guide for Island Crete ⛵, Greece❗

The construction of towers was one of the several defensive measures taken by the rulers of Crete (mainly Venetians and Ottomans) to strengthen their domination and protect them from the ongoing revolutionary movements of the Cretans. Towers were also built by the Byzantines (between 961AD-1204AD so as to protect the province of Crete from the raids of pirates.

A tower was a tall edifice built on a strong base, used mainly for defensive purposes. Its shape was circular, semicircular, square or polygonal. Towers were usually built in the exterior walls of a castle, near its gates and on the corners of the fortresses.

Here we will deal with independent towers that were built mainly in the mainland of Crete, aiming at the enforcement of the conquerors against the Cretan people, but also with some towers built near the shores to supervise the sea and to warn the residents for enemies. These coastal towers were called torrete di aviso (warning towers). The Venetians in 1573 planned to build many torrete di aviso at distances that would allow visual contact. These were multi-storey towers and someone could move from floor to floor with removable wooden ladders.

While the castles and fortresses were public buildings, as they were erected under public expenses or with the fatigues of the native population, the towers were smaller buildings which were built mostly by rich individuals or feudal families at their own expense. Thus, the towers usually bore a family crest above their main entrance, which was the identity of the tower. Initially, the systematic construction of the towers started by the Venetian feudal lords and later by the Turks.

Also, in this subsection we shall refer to some buildings which do not have the characteristics of defensive towers, but were actually luxurious mansions for rulers that lived in the villages. The towers, as they are called, were configured to meet the housing needs of the lords, but also offered various administrative and military services. They were known as villas, seray, konak and were playing the role of a chateau.

According to some historical records, the number of towers per province was: Sitia 22, Mirabello 16, Ierapetra 15, Pediada 24, Rizos 4, Kairourgio 9, Pirgiotisa 7. That number soared after 1869, when the Turks built many public towers across the island of Crete (called Koules), which are presented in separate section. Most of the towers are now gone, as they were destroyed by the Cretan rebels.

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Trevisan mansion at Kokino Metohi

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At Kokkino Metochi, near Drapanias, or more specifically at the position Trevizana, the visitors can still see the ruins of the imposing Venetian mansion of Trevisan. It was a two-storey building with the ground floor being used as a warehouse and the upper floor as a residence.

Da Molin Tower at Alikianos

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Alikianos village, which is located in a lush green area 13km away from Chania, during the Venetian Era was the seat of the local lords called Damolino (Da Molin). In this heavenly place, the Venetian military family of Damolino had built a magnificent mansion - tower, the ruins of which still survive in the orchards of the area.

Lithines Tower

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In the middle of the village there was a three-storey Venetian tower, built by the Venetians to secure their dominance over the wider region. It is considered that the tower belonged to the feudal family of Francesco Vlachos, as the crest of the Vlachos family is still surviving on a tomb in Agios Athanasios position (next to the village). When the Turks conquered the region of Sitia, they found the tower in excellent condition and used it immediately so as to oversee the area.

The tower of Mouzouras

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The tower of Mouzouras is a three storeydefensive building of the Venetian Era or more likely of the early Ottoman period, which is reserved in a very good condition. The tower was built with the same architecture with the towers at the corners of the fortification walls of Gouverneto monastery.

Vainia Tower

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Above the village Vainia of Ierapetra you will meet the top of Stavros (Cross) with the white chapel of the Holy Cross in panoramic point that controls the entire isthmus of Ierapetra. Just a few meters away from the chapel at position Pirgos (i.e. tower) there is an unknown and forgotten Venetian tower. Its square shape surrounds a semicircular prominence, like as artistic edging.

Kourmoulis Towers at Kouses

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The village Kouses is located west of Pompia and 62km southwest of Heraklion. Here lived the crypto-Christian family of Kourmoulis, numbering around 100 families in 1821.

Villa Senekjana in Rodopos

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In Rodopos, Kissamos Province, there was a reference for a Venetian villa, called Senekjana and built in 1575. It might be the mansion that still survives in the village and operates as a Centre for Information and Study of Rodopos Cape and Kolymbari wider area.

Eleftherna Tower

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At position Pyrgi of ancient Eleftherna town, located 24km east of Rethymnon, there are the ruins of a fortified tower. This tower was built before the Roman period so as to protect the unique entrance to the ancient town of Eleftherna.

Chateaus

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