Former Vranas House, Pappado

On the low hill of Agia Paraskevi, at the north-west edge of Pappados village, west of the bay of Gera, stand the remains of a medieval fortification of undetermined date. No historical source mentions it, but like most Lesbos interior castles, it was probably raised in the mid-Byzantine period and remained in use at least through the Genoese Gatelouzi era (1355-1462). Its relatively good condition and easy access suggest it may also have served during the Tourkokratia. The fortification spread across the slope over an area of 87 by 57 metres. Two towers and fragments of wall survive. The southern corner tower stands about four metres high, with an attached wall section; another wall remnant sits above the church, and a smaller, lower tower lies further north. A third tower, destroyed decades ago for building stone, once stood here. The first tower's ground floor housed a large vaulted cistern.