Ag. Petros, Trikalitis tower

Located in the village of Ag. Petros, built on the slopes of Mount Parnon, at an altitude of some 950 m.

The first testimony to the village of Ag. Petros Kynourias is the reference in the Grimani census of 1700, as a Venetian establishment (S. Pietro di Zacugna). However, no data exists concerning the fortified-house, known as the Trikaliti Tower. It was probably built in the second half of the 17th century, or early 18th century. Its name comes from the owner, the Turkish Aga Trikaliti, who came from Trikala in Corinthia. The only mention of his family is found in a contract of the year 1791. From 1836/1837 up to 1935, the tower served both as the Scholarcheio, in which Prof. K. Romaios had taught for four years, and also briefly as the Imigymnasio. The tower then remained closed until 1959/1960, when it hosted the "Agrotoleschi" (teaching dressmaking etc), only to be abandoned soon once again.

Χρονολόγηση: Ottoman/Venetian period (15th-19th centuries).

        The ground-plan of the building is an almost rectangular parallelogram (11.50 x 5.50 m). An elaborate construction, it had three levels, with a four-sided wooden-framed and tiled roof.

Access to the first level is through an arched door, while to the second it is by a more modern stone stairway from the main entrance. The initial access would have been achieved by a wooden drawbridge, which gave onto a free-standing set of stone steps positioned just a short distance from the building. This no longer survives due to the opening of a public road through the courtyard that used to belong to the tower-house. In the south part of the open space is located a fountain of post-Byzantine date, more recently restructured.

Inside the tower, the first storey is a single space, with a vaulted ceiling. On the second and third levels, the comparable space is divided by a central corridor. The floor and ceiling at this level are wooden, while the partitions are of laths. There is a fireplace on the third level.

Openings in the walls are mainly sited at the second and third levels, whilst in the first only one small one is located on the north-east side. The openings in the second and third levels are probably of later insertion: their large size is not compatible with the defensive character of the building. The original openings would have been smaller and fewer in number. At the third level, in the middle of south-east side, there is a machicolation opening, of which only the two stone corbels survive.

Of the defensive elements of the building, apart from the machicolation and the moveable access bridge, two bartizans set at the corners of the south-east side  and another in the centre of the northwest side of the third level should also be included. In these, which protected the sides of the structure, rows of gun-loops were opened both in their sides and floor. Gun-loops are equally scattered about wall-faces of the second and third storeys of the building.

The wall-masonry consists of small stones, slightly dressed, and mortar, while in the edges of the sides of the tower larger and squared stones can be found.

During the 1980s, the roof was repaired, and in 2003 a campaign of restoration was prepared and implemented, which was completed in 2006. The Trikaliti Tower was declared an historic monument by the YA 26120/1194 / 08.17.1953, Official Gazette 204 / B / 21.9.1953.

Dimakopoulos E. (1987-1988), «Πύργοι: οι οχυρές κατοικίες της προεπαναστατικής Πελοποννήσου», Scripta Minora. Έρευνες στην αρχιτεκτονική και έργα για τη συντήρηση των μνημείων, Αθήνα 2005, 217-328 (αναδημοσίευση από τα Πρακτικά του Γ΄ Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου Πελοποννησιακών Σπουδών [Καλαμάτα, 8-15 Σεπτεμβρίου 1985]), τ. Α΄, Αθήνα, 294-295

Fillipidis D. (1985), «Κυνουρία», Ελληνική Παραδοσιακή Αρχιτεκτονική, Πελοπόννησος Α', τ. 4, Αθήνα, 157-158

Orlando A. (1957),  «Ο πύργος του Τρικαλίτη παρά Άγιον Πέτρον Κυνουρίας», Το Έργον Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας, 135-136

Panagiotopoulos B. (1985), Πληθυσμός και οικισμοί της Πελοποννήσου, Αθήνα 1987, 163, 246

Sarantakis P. (2006), Αρκαδία: Οι Ακροπόλεις – Τα Κάστρα & Οι πύργοι της σιωπηλά ερείπια μιας δοξασμένης γης, Αθήνα 2006, 171