Tower of Dotia

The Dotion Tower, near the village of Pyrgi on the road to Vroulidia, dominates a region known for mastic production. Amid low mastic shrubs, the monument is a characteristic example of Chios’s medieval defensive architecture. Built by the Genoese in the early 15th century (1410–1415) as part of the island’s fortification, the three-story building of gray limestone reaches 18 meters in height and has a rectangular plan with battlements on all sides. Though in ruins, most walls survive, along with traces of vaults on the upper floors and partitions on the ground floor. It had no entrance at the lowest level; access was via a wooden stair to the middle floor, and inside there were ventilation openings and loopholes. The tower was encircled by a defensive perimeter with four corner turrets, whose foundations remain, highlighting the site’s strategic significance.