Tower of Belonia (Belogna)

Greece, Greece

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The Tower of Belonia (also known as Belogna or Belonias Tower) is a well-preserved Venetian-era tower located near the village of Galanado on the island of Naxos, Greece. Built around 1600, it originally belonged to the Venetian noble Hieronymos Sommaripa and is considered one of the finest surviving examples of fortified residential architecture on the island. Constructed on a small hill overlooking the fertile Livadi plain, the tower features thick stone walls and was designed to serve both as a residence and a defensive structure during the period of Venetian rule. Its elevated position offers impressive views of Naxos Town (Chora) and the surrounding countryside. Adjacent to the tower is a rare 13th-century chapel dedicated to Saint John, containing both Orthodox and Catholic worship spaces, reflecting the island’s multicultural history. Although the tower is privately owned and generally not open to the public, it remains an important historical landmark and a striking reminder of Naxos’s Venetian past.