Naxos Palaiologos tower

Location: Sangri

Another Venetian tower that dates back to the post-Byzantine era is the Palaiologos Tower. As with multiple Venetian structures in Naxos, this tower-house was also part of Barozzi family’s heritage. The impressive building is nested between the hills of Naxian land, a few kilometers away from Sangri village. The stone-build tower expands in three levels above ground and still features fortress details, incorporated for its defense in the 17th century.

The estimated completion date is 1699 and luckily the tower has been preserved in recent years and is since inhabited. The scenic environment creates a very photogenic backdrop, thus attracting visitors every year. Next to Palaiologos Tower one can find the Byzantine era orthodox church of Panagia Orfani. This is a common architectural phenomenon of the Venetian towers in Naxos, as they used to be built inland with no direct view of the sea (for additional safety against pirates) and hosted a small catholic monastery inside or next to them; those were later converted to orthodox churches and some are still open to the public, like Panagia Orfani.