Ruins of a medieval tower on a hill with good natural protection, above a chapel of Agia Paraskevi, 8 km south of Tripoli, 1.3 km south of the acropolis of Ancient Pallantion.
The site is located 3 km SW of the modern village of Pallantion and 2 km W of the small settlement of Evandros in Arcadia.

The site overlooks the Pallantion plain south of Tripoli, the north side of Lake Taka and the road leading to the top of the mountain, where, in Antiquity, the Sanctuary of Zeus Sotiros and Athena Soteira was located (these dual sanctuaries of Zeus/Athena existed elsewhere as well, e.g. in Piraeus and Figaleia).

History

We know nothing about the history of the tower. It has not been identified with any of the castles and towers mentioned in the sources, while it does not seem to have ever been studied by any researcher or the Archaeological Service.

Its masonry shows that it is medieval, Obviously it is not ancient nor post-Byzantine (Ottoman). It is not ruled out that it was Frankish, but it was probably built during the Late Byzantine Period, after the reconquest of the area by the Byzantines of Mystras. Therefore, a possible construction period is around the 14th century.

We do not know its original name. We call it the “Pallantio Tower” due to its proximity to the ancient Pallantion.

The archaeologist and academic Konstantinos Romaios (1874-1966) who excavated the Sanctuary of Zeus/Athena (probably in the 1920s) reported that Agia Paraskevi was a Monastic Skete. Hence, it is possible that the purpose of the tower was to protect the monastery.

Structure, Fortification & Buildings

The tower is built with semi-finished stones. Lime mortar was used in the construction, while the gaps are filled with tile fragments.

It survives at a height of about 3 meters. The entrance was on the south side.

Other ruins can be seen around the tower. Perhaps the tower also had a protective fortification enclosure. It may have been a small castle and not just a tower.

The church of Agia Paraskevi, which is located below, is partly embedded in the rock. Its sanctuary is located inside a cave on the walls of which hagiography can be seen (although in recent years it has been covered with plaster). The cave continues for over 20 meters into the rock. According to local tradition, the cave continued and led to the tower, but today there is no evidence of this.

Sources