Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos

The Church of the Annunciation in Rhodes stands out for its tall, slender bell tower, a clear imitation of the medieval tower of Saint Nicholas that once guarded the harbor. The Italians built this church in the nineteen twenties during their occupation of the island. They designed it to evoke the grandeur of the crusader past, specifically the Church of Saint John that occupied the site centuries earlier. It remains a strange blend of gothic architecture and twentieth century colonial ambition.