A small, different tower in Amfithea (old name Gides) in central Evia.

The pyrgopoulo (=little tower), as it is called locally, is located a little further south of the cemetery of the village. It is not easily detected, as it has a low height and is among other ruins and trees.

In Amphithea, outside the village to the east, there is another tower, much larger. That tower, which is rather Venetian, is presented on a separate page of Kastrologos. Also, in the past, there was another tower, near this pyrgopoulo and next to the cemetery, which was demolished a few decades ago to build houses ... The elders of the village remember it very well.

History

We know nothing about the tower. The other towers of Evia are usually Venetian, built in the 14th or 15th century. The pyrgopoulo of Amfithea, however, is different: it is much smaller and has a simpler construction, so we will not risk including it in the group of Venetian towers (although this is not impossible). We would call it of unknown origin. It could have been built at any time from the middle Byzantine period to the Ottoman period.

Its small size raises more questions. Maybe the tower was an auxiliary building of the tower that, as we mentioned earlier, used to be nearby. Or, perhaps, it was simply used to store agricultural products, but also for this use the towers that were being built were larger (eg during the Turkish period). Or, it may be small because it was built in a pre-Frankish era, when the Frankish fashion for building large towers had not arrived yet.

All these are hypotheses until we have more substantial information about the history of the tower. We are currently unable to date the tower or approx.

Current Condition

The little tower is not in good condition, mainly because of the vegetation. However its walls still stand and it is preserved at a height for which it is not clear if it is very different from the original.

Sources