Oinoi Frankish Tower

Near the Pythian of the god Apollo in Oinoi is this imposing Frankish tower.The tower was built around 1250, during the period when the ruler of Attica was Guy de la Ross (or Delaros).Guy de la Ross was the son of Otto de la Roche, a nobleman from Burgundy (from La Roche-sur-l'Ognon) who was one of the knights who took part in the Fourth Crusade (which ended with the fall of Constantinople in 1204).Otto was the ancestor of the Delaros who were masters of the Duchy of Athens until 1308.The concept of "Duke" and "Duchy" seems to have been a oddity of Otto Delaros, whose title was normally Lord of Athens (Sire d'Athenes and, for the Greeks, Megas Kyris or Megakyris). But Otto insisted on calling himself "Duke" and finally this title was formalized in 1260 and so the Frankish manor of Attica went down in history as the Duchy of Athens.The purpose of the tower was rather to protect and supervise the estates of the area. It may have belonged to the Delaros family or to one of their subjects.The tower is kept in relatively good condition. Recently, renovation works were carried out that respected the medieval form of the tower.The entrance to the tower was through an opening on the first floor, something common in medieval towers. In a more recent period, a new entrance was created at ground level, which can be seen in older photos. This later entrance has been closed following recent renovations. So getting inside is now difficult and dangerous.Source:
kastra.eu/castlegr.php?kastro=oinoe