The imposing tower of kapetan (commander) Dourakis stands at the centre of Kastania village. It is a late 18th century building witnessing the social and settlement structure of the Mani Peninsula during the times of the Second Venetian Occupation (1685-1715) and the Second Period of Ottoman Rule (1715-1821). It is directly linked to the Kapetanies, an administrative system followed mainly in the more northerly districts of the Mani. The tower has a tri-partite division: it includes the five-storey military tower, a two-storey annex at the east and a stone staircase attached to the north side of the annex. The tower is made of stone and has an almost square outline; its character is defensive; it includes a vaulted basement, four levels and a defensive parapet over the hipped roof. Four protruding cylindrical turrets (klouvia) are constructed at the corners of the last level. The rectangular two-storey annex was badly preserved; its east side was demolished in the 1970’s, when the adjacent square of the village was reconstructed. The present shape of the tower is a result of consecutive remodelling and past interventions, according to the needs that came up with the passage of time.
The project “Restoration and Rehabilitation of the Dourakis Tower in Kastania” was implemented under direct supervision of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia and the budget was 500,000.00€. It was carried out since 04-09-2014 until 31-12-2015. The monument suffered serious structural, morphological and functional damages. In the context of the project the stability of the building was ensured, the morphological characteristics were restored, the annex was rebuilt and the roofs were replaced following the traditional standards.
The project included:
