After years of effort, the historic Tomara Tower — symbol of the 1821 Revolution — finally begins restoration with funding from the Ministry of Culture and local community support.
The Tomara Tower has dominated the northern edge of the village for two centuries. Built around 1780 by the Tomara family, it served as one of the organizational centers of the Revolution in the region of Achaia. Its cellars stored supplies, and its upper floors hosted warlords who made history.
Over the years, and following its abandonment in the early 20th century, the tower began to deteriorate. Earthquakes, rain, and neglect left their marks on the stone arches and wooden floors. In 2018, a local cultural association launched a documentation campaign, and the first photographs shared online moved thousands of Greeks in the diaspora.
“The tower is not just a building. It is the memory of an entire place, proof that people lived here who fought for something greater than themselves.”
Giorgos Tomaras, family descendant
Approval for the restoration project came in early 2026, with a total budget of €480,000. The Ministry of Culture covers 70% of the funding, while the remainder comes from European ESPA funds and community contributions.
The project will be implemented in two phases. The first addresses structural restoration and weather protection, while the second will involve the renovation of interior spaces and the conversion of the tower into a small museum of local history. The architectural team has committed to using exclusively traditional materials — stone from the same river, chestnut wood from the surrounding forests.
A village rediscovers itself
For the residents of Livartzi, the restoration of the tower has symbolic value that transcends the building itself. In a village that has seen its population decline drastically in recent decades, every initiative that strengthens the identity and pride of the place matters.
Alongside the restoration work, the association is preparing a digital archive with photographs, manuscripts, and oral testimonies about the tower and the Tomara family. The collection will be freely accessible online, so that descendants of the community living in the diaspora can also come to know it.
The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Until then, the Tomara Tower will continue to stand where it always has — in the silence of time, but now with the promise of a new beginning.
