Tatiza

The tower of Tatiza is a Frankish ruin on a low hill between Xironomi and Neochori in Boeotia, dating from the 13th or 14th century. It is one of the many isolated towers scattered across the region, whose purpose remains uncertain; they were likely watchtowers or the residences of local lords rather than part of any coordinated defence. The tower once stood at the edge of a settlement of the same name, abandoned in the 18th century when an epidemic, which killed both children and livestock, drove the inhabitants to nearby Xironomi. The structure measured 8.00 by 7.20 metres, with walls 1.65 metres thick. The northern wall survives to 2.05 metres and the western to 1.62, while the other sides barely reach 45 centimetres in places. No openings remain, though in towers of this kind the entrance was usually on the second floor. Researchers catalogued it in the 20th century, but its location was later forgotten and no photographs existed until its rediscovery.