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

Spinalonga

The fortress of Spinalonga is an islet at the mouth of a narrow inlet in the Gulf of Mirabello, in the eastern part of Crete. After the fall of Candia in 1669 it was one of the three fortresses retained by Venice to protect the route towards the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The painting below (north is at the bottom) shows how the fortress controlled the entrance to a natural harbour.

Map
The fortress of Spinalonga protects a natural harbour

The islet required extensive fortifications and the Venetians did not spare resources to achieve their objective: in 1579 they built high walls right on the sea to leave no room for landing and two circular bastions on the top of the hill, from where their artillery could control the access to the harbour.

Overview
View of the fortress from the sea

Control of the harbour
Control of the harbour

Venice retained Spinalonga until 1715, when the Turks attacked them in Morea and the Venetians did not have enough naval forces to supply and help the three remaining fortresses they had in Crete.

Main bastion
The main bastion and the Winged Lion

The importance of Spinalonga decreased under the Turkish domination and the islet was abandoned until it became a lazzaretto in the XXth century.

Main entrance
Entrance from the sea

Today it is one of the main attractions of Aghios Nicolaos, a large sea resort in the Gulf of Mirabello.

Introductory page on the Venetian fortresses in Crete
Grambusa (Granvousa) and Castello (Kasteli/Kissamos)
La Canea (Xania) and Souda
Candia (Iraklion)
Rettimo (Rethimno)
Sittia and Paleocastro
Castelfranco (Frangokastelo) and other castles on the southern coast

Introductory page on the Venetian fortresses

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.