Tzannettakis Tower - Gythio Historical and Ethnological Museum

The Tzannetakis' Tower was built in 1829, on an area of ​​875 square meters, on the island of Kranai. It is the traditional stone, three-storey tower of the chieftain and the third “beis” of Mani Tzannetakis Grigorakis (1785-1868). Tzannetakis Grigorakis took part in the Revolution of 1821, leading the siege of Monemvasia and was appointed its first guard-master. The ancestor of former Prime Minister Giannis Tzanetakis offered the building to the State in 1977. After being renovated by EOT, the Tower (designated a historical preserved monument) houses the Historical and Ethnological Museum. It is an excellent example of traditional Mani architecture.

Since 1993, the permanent exhibition entitled "Travellers to Mani: 15th-19th Century" has been hosted at the Museum of History and Ethnology of the National Hellenic Research Foundation of Modern Greek Studies Center (ETF). The exhibition is about the trips of seventy foreign travellers to the region of Mani over five centuries. Vincenzo Maria Coronelli and Elvia Celebi, great geographers and travellers, were among them. Visitors can see a significant number of items, from manuscripts, historical relics, artworks, engravings, rare maps and old editions of various forms from the Renaissance to the 19th century. The museum also houses the work of the French Scientific Mission to Moria at a critical time for the newly established Greek state, specifically between 1829-1832. In addition to the permanent exhibition, periodic thematic exhibitions are organised in connection with similar events in the area.

Finally, near the Tower of Tzannetakis, the visitor can also see the old boatyard, the Lighthouse of Gythio and the chapel of Saints Peter and Paul, located at the small Halkitsa beach.