An isolated tower located at the north-eastern side of the Samothrace island, on the beach, by the river "Fonias" (meaning "Murderer"). It is a rectangular building, around 12m tall.

History

This is a Genoese tower. The Gattilusi (singular Gattilusio) were a powerful Genoese family who controlled a number of possessions in the northern Aegean from 1355 until the mid 15th century.
Francesco Gattilusio gained the favor of Byzantine Emperor John V Palaiologos by helping him oust a rival to the throne, John VI Kantakouzenos, in 1354. As reward, Gattilusio was given lordship of the island of Lesbos (and its stronghold, Mytilene) from July 1355, as well as the hand in marriage of the emperor's sister, Maria. The Gattilusi possessions grew to include, among others, the islands of Imbros, Samothrace, Lemnos and Thasos, and the land city of Aenos (modern Enez in Turkey). From this position, they were heavily involved in the mining and marketing of alum, useful in textile production and a profitable trade controlled by the Genoese.

So the tower was built after 1431, in the Genoan era of Samothrace. Its purpose was to guard the little port of the bay to the NE of the tower. The port and the tower must have been in the service of the medieval settlement that existed along the river and of the numerous monasteries in the interior of the NE side of the island.

Having said that, there is a possibility that the tower was built long before the arrival of the Gattilusi, around the middle of the 14th century when Samothrace went through a period of growth and prosperity.

Current Condition

The tower was in a better condition until recently. But in 2017, during a storm, the NW wall fell down. See old photo 6 (the wall intact) and photos 7,8 as this side is today.

Sources