Thiva, Thebes, Boeotia,Central Greece
Tower of Saint Omer
or Santamer Castle
| Location: |
| Inside the yard of the archaelogical museum of Thiva, Central Greece |
| Region > Prefecture: |  |
| Central Greece Boeotia | |
| Municipality > Town: | |
| City of Thebes • Thiva | |
| Altitude: | |
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Elevation ≈ 185 m (Relative Height≈0 m) |
| Time of Construction | Origin | |
| after 1287 | FRANKISH  |
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| Castle Type | Condition | |
| Tower |
Not Good
|
A square tower inside the yard of the archaeological museum of Thiva which is what remains from the castle/palace of the Frankish lords of the city.
History
During Frangokratia (Frankish occupation) the Flemish family of Saint-Omer were the rulers of Thiva. One of them, Nicolas II Saint-Omer (1258-1294), fortified the ancient acropolis of Kadmia in Thiva and built the castle which became his residence. It is believed that this tower was the keep or donjon of the castle.
The castle remained in Saint-Omer family until 1314 when their dynasty expired.
In 1314 the Catalans occupied the region and the castle. The Catalans destroyed the castle themselves, in order not to fall in the hands of their opponents. This happened either in 1331 or 1360.
Structure, Fortification & Buildings
This was a big tower. The dimensions of the basis were 13.60x16.00m and its wall was 3m thick. The maximum height today is 13m.
In its original form, the tower must have had 3 storey. Only the ground-floor remains today and part of the second floor.
| First entry in Kastrologos: | November 2012 | Last addition of photo/video: | August 2020 |
Sources
- Photos 1 and 6–10 from Greek Centaurs Horseback Archery
- Photo 12 Γιάννης Μιχαλακάκος (Dec 2021)
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| Access |
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| Approach to the monument: |
| - |
| Entrance: |
| Ticket entrance. Limited hours. |
