It is located at a distance of 12km away from Chora (Hora – Naxos town), near the village of Sagri. The Bazeos Tower is also called the “Timios Stavros” (“Holy Cross”) built around the 17th century. It is located a prominent position on the plain of Agiassos and was a tower-monastery which means that it functioned as a defensive position and monastery during the earlier Venetian years. After the defeat of the Venetians by the Ottomans, it functioned solely as a monastery until the early 19th century when it was eventually abandoned and became property of the Greek state.
Later, it was sold to the descendants of the Bassegio family (now Bazeos family) to which still belongs and whose modern descendants have refurbished the building and its fascinating late-medieval rooms with great skill and imagination. The building is managed by the non-profit cultural organization “AION”. The tower now functions as a cultural centre and hosts festivals in collaboration with several organizations, cultural operators and museums, such as Benaki Museum. A myriad of theatrical performances, music and dance shows as well as temporary exhibitions take place at this venue. The price of admission to these varies.
