Tower of Mourtzinos

In Old Kardamili dominates the Tower of Mourtzinos, who belonged to the last captain of Mani.

From the Tower of Mourtzinos, it is only rescued the half-ruined arched gateway, the Tower house who had a defensive role and significance, the Tower, the entrance to which possible through a retractable wooden bridge, the Forge, the underground Cistern, the Olive Mill and the Vegetable Garden that used to cover the needs of the family.

At the entrance of the Tower of Mourtzinos, dominates the Church of St. Spyridon that belonged to Mourtzinos family, who were leading figures among the captains of Androuvista for more than 200 years.

The Tower of Mourtzinos, which today hosts the Museum of Mourtzinos, is a typical fortified house for a captain of Exo Mani. According to the peculiar administrative system of the northwestern (Exo) Mani, the “Captain” was considered to be the local lord of a certain area, which had the power to supervise it thanks to his “fortress”. This was true until the founding of the Modern Greek state.

The construction of the first buildings at the Tower of Mourtzinos is placed in the late 17th century, when the ancestor of Mourtzinos, Michael Palaeologus, appeared in the region.