Location: at the Kastro in Chora

Operating hours: 10.00 - 23.00  

Contact: tel.: 22850 22387, e-mail: venetian@acn.gr 

Description: This is a well preserved tower belonging to the Karavias Family. The owners give particular importance in preserving the old atmosphere and glamour of the building unaltered by the passing of time.

Presently the tower has been transformed into a – unique in kind – folkloric museum, as it includes in its premises furniture and objects of past centuries which used to be part of the household utilities.

The owners of the tower have successfully combined the different historical periods in a unique manner. Most of the time the guiding is conducted by Nikos Karavias, one of the owners, and he possesses a very particular charisma of “transporting” the visitor to another era, in a vivid and animated manner.

This “vividness” happens because the “guide” does not simply narrate unknown parts of past history, but he relates to the visitor the historical course of his own ancestors and his paternal home. All of the collection of household articles found there have their own diachronic course and all together combine, in a unique way, the History of the greater Cycladic area.

Mr. Karavias explains in a characteristic way his family’s emotional attachment to the tower: “After our mother passed away, many times we have been asked to sell the tower in exchange for large amounts of money. However, how could we possibly consider such a motion? To us this is the home in which we grew up, where we lived joyful moments with our family. How can anyone put a price on memories? Memories have no price…”.

Through out the year – but especially during the summer season – the museum houses important cultural activities, such as classical music concerts, local and traditional violin concerts, art exhibitions or folkloric events, inside a very special area at the tower’s cellar, and also at the yard on the side of the tower, with spectacular view, overlooking the harbour and the open western sea.

It is definitely worthwhile to pay a visit to the museum and enjoy a unique combination of history, cultural and artistic creativity, within an enchanting environment.

Also visit: Cultural Events at the Della Rocca-Barozzi Tower