Tower of Kokkos

The Tower of Kokkos is located in Lierado, one of the settlements in the Potamia area of Naxos. It is an imposing structure dating back to the 17th century and originally belonged to the Kokkos family, a native Orthodox lineage.

On its ground floor, an old watermill has been preserved, and above the main entrance there is an inscription reading “Memory of death serves life 1686,” a phrase reflecting the turbulent and uncertain times of the period.

According to local tradition, the tower was the setting for a tragic love story and feud between the Kokkos and Barozzi families — a kind of local “Romeo and Juliet.”

For many years, the tower remained semi-ruined, but it was recently restored by a private owner, thus preserving its historical character and transforming it into a local attraction.

The Tower of Kokkos stands as a fine example of the fortified mansions built in the Naxos countryside for defense and land management purposes during and after the Venetian rule.