Tower of Pityos

The medieval Tower of Pityous, in northern Chios, is considered the largest defensive tower in the islands of Greece and dates to the 14th century. Built on a rocky rise overlooking the Chios–Asia Minor passage, it held a strategic position. It is 13 meters high and polygonal with 16 sides. The ground floor includes two storerooms and a cistern for collecting rainwater via a clay conduit. The upper floor has two barrel‑vaulted halls that communicate with each other and with the roof, while access was by an elevated entrance reached with a portable ladder. On the roof, battlements and a wall‑walk for defenders are visible. The tower underwent three construction phases: initially with wooden floors and a tiled roof; later with reinforced walls and a polygonal plan; and, finally, with vaulted spaces. Excavations revealed ceramics of the 14th–16th century, 14th‑century coins, and objects of everyday and military use.