Atalanti-Palaiopyrgos

On a hill south of Atalanti in Central Greece, the ruined tower known as Palaiopyrgos keeps a wide watch over the surrounding countryside, all the way to the sea. It is thought to date from the 14th century and to be Frankish in origin, though little now stands to confirm its former presence. Only the north face survives at its original length, measuring 8.10 metres long, 2.70 metres high and 1.65 metres thick, with short remnants of the east and west walls, 3.70 metres and a few metres respectively. The construction binds local black stones with ceramic fragments in a rich plaster, and the cobbles appear to have been only partially dressed. The masonry closely resembles that of another tower in Atalanti itself, on Nikotsara Street, suggesting a shared building tradition. Today the site is a bare ruin, but its position still commands an excellent prospect, a quiet relic of medieval lordship over the plain.