OPTIONAL WALKING TOUR
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
The Republic of Venice conquered Crete in 1205, and ruled the Island until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1669. 350 years of Venetian rule has left a prominent footprint on Crete, no place more obvious than in the beautiful city of Rethymno.
The Venetians turned Rethymno into a major trade/commercial center between its two larger neighbors of Heraklion and Chania. Rethymno’s Old Town built by the Venetians is one of the best preserved in Crete.
An excellent example is the 16th century Venetian Loggia House
(below) built in the center of the old town.
The Fortress of Rethymno, also built by the Venetians in the
16th century, is one of the best preserved castles in Crete
Inside the fortress is found the Ibrahim Han Mosque. Originally a Venetian Cathedral, it was converted to a mosque by the Turks in 1646.
The Venetian Governor Rimondi built the Rimondi Fountain in the center of the old town in 1626. With four fluted Corinthian columns, water runs from three lion’s heads into three basins.
The Guora Gate (or Grand Gate) is the main entrance through the Venetian walls that once protected the city. The 8.5 foot wide gate was built during the tenure of the Venetian Governor, Jocopo Guoro, 1566 -1568.
Egyptian lighthouse 1860 and the Old Harbor