Fortezza Castle
Encyclopedia
The Fortezza Castle is the Venetian
-era citadel
of the city of Rethymno
in Crete
, Greece
.
In the aftermath of the fall of Cyprus
to the Ottoman Empire
in 1571, the Venetians began fortifying Crete, their largest remaining overseas
possession. Construction began on 13 September 1573. The fortress was conquered
by the Ottomans in 1646, and remained in use until the early 20th century. During Ottoman times, most of the space inside the fortress was settled, and the last houses were demolished only in the 1960s. Large-scale restoration work is under way since the early 1990s.
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
-era citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
of the city of Rethymno
Rethymno
Rethymno is a city of approximately 40,000 people in Greece, the capital of Rethymno peripheral unit in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity , even though was never a competitive Minoan centre...
in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
In the aftermath of the fall of Cyprus
Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573)
The Fourth Ottoman–Venetian War, also known as the War of Cyprus was fought between 1570–1573. It was waged between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice, the latter joined by the Holy League, a coalition of Christian states formed under the auspices of the Pope, which included Spain , the...
to the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1571, the Venetians began fortifying Crete, their largest remaining overseas
Stato da Màr
The Stato da Màr or Domini da Màr was the name given to the Republic of Venice's maritime and overseas possessions, including Istria, Dalmatia, Negroponte, the Morea , the Aegean islands of the Duchy of the Archipelago, and the islands of Crete and Cyprus...
possession. Construction began on 13 September 1573. The fortress was conquered
Cretan War (1645–1669)
The Cretan War or War of Candia , as the Fifth Ottoman–Venetian War is better known, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary States, fought over the island of Crete, Venice's largest and richest overseas possession...
by the Ottomans in 1646, and remained in use until the early 20th century. During Ottoman times, most of the space inside the fortress was settled, and the last houses were demolished only in the 1960s. Large-scale restoration work is under way since the early 1990s.