Tour of the city of Herakleio
It consists of the Old Town, enclosed by the Venetian walls, and the New Town which has spread outside of these. The walls form a triangle which has the sea as its base and the Martinengo Bastion as its apex.
Herakleion Harbor At Night A tour of the city can take as its starting point the Venetian Harbor, which is to the left of the large modern harbor. It was of an enormous commercial importance as well as a naval base during the Venetians. Of interest here is the Kastro, known as the Koules fortress, at the entrance to the Venetian harbor. This was built by the Venetians to protect the harbor from enemy attack. On its three sides parts of the reliefs of the lion of St Mark built into the walls have survived. Its interior was used for warehouses, a prison, and accommodation for the guards.
The Venetian Kastro or Kouless Fortress The fortress is open to the public, while there is an open-air theatre on top of it. The Venetian walls are the most important monument dating from this part of the city’s history. They were first built in the 15th century, with additions and improvements in the 16th and 17th. Their main designer was one of the most distinguished military engineers of the 16th century, Michele Sammicheli from Verona. The total length of the triangular walls is three kilometers and they were protected by bastions, all of which have survived of its four gates, three can still be seen. The Chania Gate on the western side of the walls dates from 1570. On its inner façade a medallion containing a relief bust f Christ as the ruler of All with the inscription (‘Omnipotens’) (‘Almighty’) has been preserved. It is this which has given its alternative name of the Gate of the ‘Pantokrator’ (‘Almighty’).
The Chania Gate In Herakleio On the outer façade there is a winged lion of St Mark in the relief and above this another relief bust of the Pantokrator, with an inscription in Greek. This was the gate from which the whole of western Crete was reached. The other surviving gate is on the south side, the Jesus Gate or New Gate, dating from 1587. On its inner façade it has architectural decorations consisting of an entablature, triglyphs and metopes. In the middle can be seen an inscription giving the date of its construction and the name of the Governor of the day, Mocenigo. As the wall continues to the south, we come to the Martinengo Bastion. Here, on a platform, is the tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis, with its simple inscription: “I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free”.
Church Of St. Titus In Herakleion About midway along 25 Avgoustou St, which climbs from the Harbor, is the square containing the Church of St Titus, the patron saint of Crete. Its architecture combines various Eastern and Western features, reflecting its troubled history. Here is preserved the head of St Titus, which was returned to the church in 1966 from Venice, where it was taken when Herakleio fell for the Turks. The loggia at the end of square is the restored Loggia of the Venetians, which houses the Town Hall. This rectangular two-storey building, the centre of the public life of the nobility under Venetian rule, was built in early 16th century. The building which stands on the site today is a faithful reproduction of the old monument.
The Venetian Loggia In Herakleion The Basilica of St Mark stands in Venizelou of Kritis Square, to which 25 Avgoustou St leads. It was built in 1239 by the Venetians and dedicated to their patron saint. Today, it is used as the premises of the Literary Society and houses a permanent collection of copies of byzantine wall-paintings from various churches in Crete. The Cathedral Church of St Minas, which is in Ayias Aikaterinis Square, was built between 1862 and 1895 and, in terms of size, is one of the islands most impressive churches. It is in the form of a cross with arms of equal length, topped with a dome.
Agios Minas Cathedral In Herakleion At the western corner of the Cathedral is the small, older ‘Church of St Minas’, with fine carved wood decorations and 18th century icons, and the old Church of the Presentation of Christ. Older building of interest include Vikelaian Library, which is housed in the ‘Aktarika’ municipal building, the Public Services Building – once the Turkish barracks and now the prefecture offices and law courts – and the picturesque Public Market.
Fontana di Morosini in the Venizelou Square of Herakleion The city has kept fountains from the Venetian period: the Morosini Fountain, in the middle of the Venizelou Square, the Bembo Fountain, in Kornarou Square, and the Priouli or Delimarkou Fountain in Delimarkou ST, in the northern part of the city. Copyright © 2007-2008 Crete-Travel-Guide.com. All rights reserved. |
