Home

Visit Rome following 8 XVIIIth century itineraries XVIIIth century Rome in the 10 Books of Giuseppe Vasi - Le Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna The Grand View of Rome by G. Vasi The Environs of Rome: Frascati, Tivoli, Albano and other small towns near Rome A 1781 map of Rome by G. Vasi An 1852 map of Rome by P. Letarouilly Rome seen by a 1905 armchair traveller in the paintings by Alberto Pisa The 14 historical districts of Rome An abridged history of Rome How to spend a peaceful day in Rome Baroque sculptors and their works The coats of arms of the popes in the monuments of Rome Pages on a specific pope Pages complementing the itineraries and the views by Giuseppe Vasi Walks in the Roman countryside and in other towns of Latium following Ferdinand Gregorovius A Directory of links to the Churches of Rome A Directory of links to the Palaces and Villas of Rome A Directory of links to the Other Monuments of Rome A Directory of Baroque Architects with links to their works A Directory of links to Monuments of Ancient Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Medieval Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Renaissance A Directory of links to Monuments of the Late Renaissance A list of the most noteworthy Roman Families Directories of fountains, obelisks, museums, etc. Books and guides used for developing this web site An illustrated Glossary of Art Terms Venice and the Levant Roman recollections in Florence A list of Italian towns shown in this web site Venetian Fortresses in Greece Vienna seen by an Italian XVIIIth century traveller A list of foreign towns shown in this web site
What's New!

Detailed Sitemap

All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.

Venetian Fortresses in Crete        

The rule of Venice over Crete goes back to the year 1204, when the Republic was awarded 3/8 of the Eastern Roman Empire for the Venetian role in supporting the Fourth Crusade. Enrico Dandolo, the Doge of Venice at the time, (blind and at the age of 80) personally led the Venetian fleet's successful attack on the maritime walls of Constantinople.

Venice was mainly interested in acquiring bases for supporting the profitable trade with the East and the ports of Crete provided a bridge towards what was called "Oltremare" i. e. the Mediterranean beyond the Aegean Sea.
The nominal award of Crete needed intervention against the Genoese or to be precise against a Genoese corsair, who for some years and with the help of the Greek despotates maintained control over the island. The Venetian occupation was also confronted with the rebellion of the Cretans, especially in the inland areas.
The island was invaluable to the Republic for its products and commerce, but the inhabitants did not easily tolerate the new dominion. The Venetians were obliged to repress many revolts, and to do so more easily sent several Colonies of Nobles and others, to whom land was granted on condition of defending it for the Republic.

For centuries the Venetian fleet assured the defence of the island, but after 1453, with the fall of Constantinople to the Turks, the need to protect the main towns with fortifications became more and more important. In 1522 Rhodes was conquered by the Turks. In 1529 Khair ad din conquered Algiers and from there his corsairs sacked many Mediterranean towns, including Rettimo in Crete. In 1571 Cyprus fell to the Turks.

These events had an influence also on the relations between the Cretans and the Venetians: the Turkish threat reduced the hostility towards the Venetian rule. In the XVIIth century the population of Crete was divided into four tiers: a) the Venetian noble families b) the Cretan noble families (including some Jewish families) c) the citizens of the three main towns (Candia, La Canea and Rettimo) d) the rest of the population. At that time Crete was known as the Kingdom of Candia.

Jewish coat of arms
The coat of arms of a Cretan Jewish family

The Venetian government was aware of the precariousness of the Republic possession of Crete (now in the middle of the Ottoman territories) and was careful not to irritate the Sultan. The appeasing policy of Venice was also motivated by the risk of Turkish retaliation upon the many Venetian merchants living in the Eastern Mediterranean. In 1645 however the Knights of Malta attacked a Turkish convoy on its way from Alexandria to Constantinople and brought the loot (including part of the Sultan's harem returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca) to Candia. This act led to the first of three wars between the Turkish Empire and Venice.

The first war lasted for more than 20 years. The Turks attacked first La Canea, then Rettimo and, after occupying the rest of the island, started the siege of Candia. During the siege a local painter prepared a book for the Venetian Senate showing all the towns, ports and castles of the island in an effort to "market" the need for defending the island: below the first page of the book.


The winged lion
A much humanized winged lion unsheathes the sword to defend Crete

The first war ended in 1669 with the negotiated surrender of Candia: Venice retained possession of three fortresses (Grambusa, Souda and Spinalonga) on islets, which protected natural harbours where the Venetian ships could stop during their route eastwards. In addition was compensated for the loss of Candia by an expansion in Dalmatia.

The second war erupted in 1685 and Venice vainly tried to regain Crete. The Venetians did, however, succeed in conquering Morea and Athens.

The third war in 1715 saw the victory of the Turks, who regained Morea and forced Venice to completely abandon Crete.

The map below is taken from the 1900 Times Atlas of the World and shows how the Venetian names were used for centuries after the end of the Venetian rule.

Map of the fortresses Grambusa Castello La Canea Souda San Romualdo Castelfranco Sfakia Rettimo Candia Spinalonga Ierapetra Sittia Paleocastro

Grambusa (Granvousa) and Castello (Kasteli/Kissamos)
La Canea (Xania) and Souda
Candia (Iraklion)
Rettimo (Rethimno)
Spinalonga
Castelfranco (Frangokastelo) and other castles on the southern coast
Sittia and Paleocastro

Introductory page on the Venetian Fortresses

Map of the fortresses Corfu Butrinto Dodoni Ioanina Parga Paxi Preveza Nikopolis Vonizza Santamaura/Lefkada Asso Itaca Patrasso, Castel di Rumelia, Castel di Morea Lepanto Cefalonia Zante Navarino Calamata Castel Tornese and Glarenza Modon Corone Mistrà Malvasia Castelrosso Schiatto Scopello Alonisso Negroponte Oreo Corinto Egina Atene Hadrian's Athens Napoli di Romania/Nafplio Argo Cerigo/Kythira Tinos Micono Milo Nasso Candia/Creta Fortresses of Maina Lemno Stampalia Scio Schiro Andro Spezzia Imbro Tenedo Patmo Lero Calimno Metelino Metimno Cunda Candarli Fochies Cismes Argentiera Sifno Serifo Paris Antiparis Siro Rhodes Coo Castel S. Pietro Lindos Nissiros Symi Castelrosso (Kastelorizo) The Asklepeion of Kos Santorino Folegandros Afrodisias Ephesus Kale Sultanieh Kilitbahir Pergamum Sardis Seddulbahir Roman Smyrna Delphi Priene Miletus Didyma Iasos Euromos Milas Eleusis Roman Corinth default - Corfù
Clickable map: hover on the dots

On the Ionian Islands:     Corfù (Kerkyra)     Paxo (Paxi)     Santa Maura (Lefkadas)     Cefalonia (Kephallonia)     Asso (Assos)     Itaca (Ithaki)     Zante (Zachintos)     Cerigo (Kythera)
On the mainland: Butrinto (Butrint)     Parga     Preveza and Azio (Aktion)     Vonizza (Vonitsa)     Lepanto (Nafpaktos)     Atene (Athens)
On Morea:     Castel di Morea (Rio), Castel di Rumelia (Antirio) and Patrasso (Patra)     Castel Tornese (Hlemoutsi) and Glarenza     Navarino (Pilo) and Calamata     Modon (Methoni)     Corone (Koroni)     Braccio di Maina, Zarnata, Passavà and Chielefà     Mistrà     Corinto (Korinthos)     Argo (Argos)     Napoli di Romania (Nafplio)     Malvasia (Monemvassia)
On the Aegean Sea:     Negroponte (Chalki)     Castelrosso (Karistos)     Oreo     Lemno (Limnos)     Schiatto (Skiathos)     Scopello (Skopelos)     Alonisso     Schiro (Skyros)     Andro (Andros)     Tino (Tinos)     Micono (Mykonos)     Siro (Syros)     Egina (Aegina)     Spezzia (Spetse)     Paris (Paros)     Antiparis (Andiparos)     Nasso (Naxos)     Serifo (Serifos)     Sifno (Syphnos)     Milo (Milos)     Argentiera (Kimolos)     Santorino (Thira)     Folegandro (Folegandros)     Stampalia (Astipalea)     Candia (Kriti)
Genoese Bases:     Metelino (Mytilini)     Metimno (Molyvos)     Cunda (Alibey)     Fochies (Foca)     Candarli     Cismes (Cesme)     Scio (Chios)
Fortresses of the Knights of Rhodes:     Lero (Leros)     Calimno (Kalimnos)     Coo (Kos)     Castel S. Pietro (Bodrum)     Symi     Nissiros     Rhodes (Rodos)     Lindos     Castelrosso (Kastelorizo)     Other fortresses
Ottoman fortresses:     Imbro (Gokceada)     Tenedo (Bozcaada)     Seddulbahir     Kale Sultanieh (Canakkale)     Cilitbahir
Other locations shown in the map:     Patmos     Dodoni (Dodona)     Nikopolis     Roman Corinth     Hadrian's Athens     Pergamum     Roman Smyrna     Sardis (Sart)     Ephesus     Afrodisia     Delphi     Eleusis     Ioanina    Kos    Priene    Miletus    Didyma    Iasos    Euromos    Milas

You may refresh your knowledge of the history of Venice in the Levant by reading an abstract from the History of Venice by Thomas Salmon, published in 1754. The Italian text is accompanied by an English summary.