The Tower of Olympios or “Russian Consulate” is a mansion built during the Ottoman period with several fortification elements. It is located in Kato Lechonia of the Municipality of Volos. “Olympios” was the name of the family of the last owners and tenants (from 1937 to 1970).

History

The mansion was built in the 18th century by a certain Alatzas who was the consul of Russia in Lechonia, hence the Russian Consulate.

In the 18th and 19th centuries there were at least 60 towers like this one in Lechonia. Today only 3 remain: Kokoslis, Olympios, Souleyman-Karagiannopoulos –the last being in ruins.

This tower was inherited in the 19th century by the grand-daughter of Alatzas and her husband Nikolaos Kontos who in 1860 made some serious additions and rebuilt the last floor, removing the characteristic sachnisi.

In 1900 the Kontos family moved to the nearby new Kontos mansion (still standing) and this tower was used by other tenants. In 1937 was bought by the Olympios family and was inhabited until 1970.

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