Maroulas 2

Maroulas II is the smaller and more neglected of two surviving Venetian towers in the hill village of Maroulas, some 240 metres above sea level near Rethymno in Crete. The settlement took shape under Venetian rule, and this particular tower was probably raised in the 15th or 16th century as the residence of a local nobleman. It stands at the village's east edge, a modest tower house in poor condition, overshadowed by its counterpart at the centre. After the Ottoman occupation of 1647, the Turks used the towers as a military base, and they remained in service into the 20th century. In 1922, Greek refugees from Asia Minor were housed here, and the buildings were abandoned only after the Second World War. Maroulas once had three towers; the oldest, Byzantine in origin, has vanished entirely. The village itself retains its medieval character, with narrow streets, crenellated old houses, heraldic shields over doors and arched alleys, though it draws few visitors.