Glezos-Crispi

The Glezos Tower, also known as the Crispi Tower, is the sole survivor of the twelve perimeter towers that once guarded the castle of Naxos, and it remains in very good condition. The castle itself was founded in 1207 by Marco Sanudo, the Venetian who seized the island and became Duke of the Archipelago. This particular tower, however, is a later addition, its cylindrical form and sloping base with a decorative stone ring marking it as distinct from the older fortifications. It was likely raised between 1494 and 1500, when the Duchy was under direct Venetian rule and the castle underwent major reinforcement.

Originally owned by the Crispi family, the second ducal dynasty (1383-1566), the tower later passed through Ottoman-era hands, including a Wallachian official and a court dragoman, before becoming the property of P. Glezos, who donated it to the Archaeological Service in 1968. Restoration followed, and it now houses the Byzantine Museum. Its massive walls are 1.60 metres thick, and it contains a vaulted cistern, a grand first-floor hall measuring 17 by 4.80 metres, and the coats of arms of both the Barozzi and Crispi families.