Tower-mansions of Crete. A multidisciplinary approach to learn built heritage

As part of a research on Venetian and Ottoman architecture in Crete, this paper introduces a first inventory of fortified mansions and tower-houses. They formed a network controlling coasts, plains, and cultivated lands. It is hard to retrace the origin of these houses without deploying stratigraphic and chemical analysis. However, a first morphological study has identified recurring elements: a small plan with several floors and an access on the first level; embrasures, bretèches and putlog holes, as well as a fireplace; and a decorative sobriety. In a surveyed tower-house we find that military devices refer to a first constructive phase, while residential elements refer to a second phase. These hybrid features are common to fortified houses in the Mediterranean and beyond, which were strong elements of military and spatial organization. This vernacular and colonial heritage has got a significant value in terms of architectural models and possible reuse.