RethimnoOur tour starts at the Porta Guora, also called the Great Gate, at the entrance to Antistaseos Street. The gate represents the only remaining part of the ancient fortified wall of the town of Rethymno. Continuing down Antistaseos St., which is also known as Mikri Agora (Small Market), you will find the church of Aghios Frangiskos on your left-hand-side, and next to the church is the former Turkish Primary School.
Special attention should be paid to the outer doorframe, which is in the Venetian style, whereas the inner doorframe was added later on by the Turks and is ornamented with vines. Thus the initial frame was a much narrower shape. Next to each pilaster pairs of relief work can be seen, which portray lions in the lower part and symbols of the Ottoman Empire in the upper part. The entrance to the school, the lower part of which was built in 1796, is situated in Papamichelaki Street.
Continuing along Antistaseos Street, further down you will arrive at Souliou Street, which branches to the right. The picturesque alley is worth seeing, since it boasts a large number of shops displaying traditional handicrafts. This street leads up to Palaiologou St., where we turn right. A few metres further down, at the crossroads of Palaiologou and Arkadiou St. the Loggia is situated on the right-hand-side, today, the Ministry of Culture uses this building as a shop, where true copies of ancient artefacts are sold. We turn back in a westerly direction on Palaiologou St. and arrive at the famous Platanos Square (Platia Petychaki), where the Rimondi Fountain, a remnant of the Venetian period, will be found. It is worthwhile having a closer look at the fountain before continuing through the square with its traditional cafes, tavernas and shops, and turning right into Bernardou St. Here, the Neratzes mosque with its towering minaret is situated. The mosque with its impressive dome was the Church of Santa Maria during Venetian times and belonged to the Augustine monastery, which was situated in the centre of the Venetian square. Its imposing doorframe is ornamented with Corinthian capitals and an impressive lintel in the crown of the arch. The Church of Santa Maria was transformed into a mosque in 1657 and the highest minaret of the town furnished with two galleries was added in 1890.
The Folklore Museum of Rethymno is found at No. 30, Bernardou St, and is worth a visit. Further down the street you can admire one the most beautiful doorframes of Rethymno, which displays the following inscription: "VIRTUTE FULCIDA DOMUS MDCIXKAL JUNII" (Virtue makes this house shine, first days of June 1609). We continue our tour down Bernardou St. and arrive at Nikiforos Foka St., at the square of Kyria ton Aggelon (Lady of the Angels). The Church of The Little Virgin, as the people of Rethymno call it, was built during the Venetian occupation and dedicated to Maria Magdalene of the Dominican order. During the Turkish occupation, this three-aisled church was transformed into a mosque, and a minaret was added in1680, which collapsed shortly after. From the square of Kyria ton Aggelon we turn into Arambatzoglou St. with its magnificently ornamented facades and doorframes. A large number of wooden balconies, many more than anywhere else in the town, have been preserved in this street. From Arabatzoglou St. we turn into Mesolongi St. and from there we turn left into Radamanthios St. The Turkish bath was housed at No. 25 during earlier times; but it is now a private building and so it cannot be visited.
The bath was built in 1670 and includes two halls with semi-circular domes. To the west at the crossroads of Radamanthios and Nikiforos Foka St. we turn right and continue down Nikiforos Foka St. We then continue down Klidis St., the first alley on our left-hand-side, which is famous for the superbly ornamented doorframe at No. 13. We continue down Klidis St. and then turn left into Renieri St. with its beautiful Venetian doorframes and wooden balconies, until we arrive at Panou Koroneou St. In this street No.12 has an exceptionally attractive doorframe with a relief that is richly decorated with natural motifs. Walking down Koroneou St. in a westerly direction you will arrive at the intersection of Koroneou and Smyrnis St., where five fountains can be seen, two on Koroneou St. and three below the arch. Koroneou St. leads us to the square of Iroon Polytechniou, which is dominated by the neoclassical building of the Prefecture. We return to Koroneou St. and, continuing in an easterly direction, we turn right into Mavili St. Here you will notice neatly kept houses with flowers and enclosed yards. We then turn left into Piga St., continue down Patelarou St. and arrive at Nikiforos Foka St., the famous Makry Steno (long alley) of the old town of Rethymno.
The iconostasis, which is made of stone and built into the wall at this point where Nikiforos Foka St. and Papamichelaki St. meet, is worth seeing. Continuing along Nikiforos Foka in a southerly direction, we turn left into Bouniali St., where the blacksmiths and saddlers had their workshops in earlier times. Following the road straight on we arrive at Ethnikis Antistaseos St. and, looking to the right, we can see the Great Gate (Porta Guera), the point from which we started our tour.
The following tour starts at Ethnarchou Makariou St., at house numbers 5, 7, and 9, where we shall see parts of domed buildings, which represented the quarters of the rampart of Aghia Varvara, that is of the first fortification of the town of Rethymno. Following the road further down we arrive at the square of Iroon, which has the monument to the Unknown Soldier in its centre. From here we turn into Arkadiou St., one of the most important shopping centres of Rethymno.
The mosque Kara Mousa Pasa is situated at the corner of Arkadiou and Viktoras Ougo (Victor Hugo) St.. We continue down Arkadiou and stop at no. 48 in order to admire the impressive doorframe of this Venetian mansion. Further down we arrive at no. 154, Rethymno most imposing Venetian mansion. It boasts a magnificent facade as well as a distinctive doorframe. Furthermore, No. 12 Tsouderon St. also displays a beautiful doorframe with Doric columns, an arch and triangles with curved sides, which are richly ornamented with motifs taken from nature. At the crossroads of Tsouderon and Tsagri St. we turn to the right, pass through the vaulted passage and turn right again into Arkadiou St. At this point, that is at the intersection of Arkadiou and Chatzigrigoraki St., you will find an admirable Neoclassical mansion with three storeys. We continue down Arkadiou St. as far as Paleologou St., where the famous Venetian Loggia is found on the left hand corner. From there we turn right into Petychaki St., which leads us to the beach promenade of E. Venizelou.
Following the stone-paved promenade in a westerly direction you will come to the Venetian port. Construction works started here in 1300, however they were delayed due to problems of sand being washed up. The wall, which surrounds the port, is also of Venetian origin, whereas some extensions and the lighthouse were built during the Turkish occupation.
ince ancient times the inhabitants of Rethymno have been renowned for their skills in literature and art, and also for their devotion to traditional work concerning nature, agriculture and stockbreeding. Within this framework they have developed a specific relationship with the tradition, the customs and the way of living of their home country; they carefully keep these things alive in every corner of the prefecture and see to it that they are passed on to their children and grandchildren. Thus both every-day-life and the days such as religious holidays or holidays arising from the social need for relaxation and entertainment are organised in an environment of continued unchanging values.
Traditions relating to celebrations for the worshipping of God, nature, production and life itself represent a very important chapter in the life of the people of Rethymno as well as of all Cretans.
Religious holidays include Christmas, Epiphany, carnival festivities, Easter, the Assumption of the Virgin as well as the name days of all saints and are celebrated with particular energy. Christmas is considered a family festivity, which is celebrated in a warm, quiet atmosphere. Fragrances and flavours of traditional cooking and pastry making, special dishes, which decorate the Christmas table are just as much part of it. Epiphany is celebrated on 6 January in the ports, where the priests bless the sea by throwing the Holy Cross into the water. Divers jump into the cold sea, competing with each other in order to catch the cross, while the sirens of large and small boats fill the air joyously. Carnival and Shrove Monday are celebrated in January or February, depending on the date of the Easter celebrations, and mark the beginning of Sarakosti, that is the Lenten period, which lasts for 40 days.
Carnival Sunday (Apokria) is the last day on which meat may be consumed before Lent begins on Shrove Monday. On that day people celebrate the event in the country with Lenten food and kite flying. Undoubtedly Easter is the most important festival of the Orthodox Church. During this period the religious belief of the people is felt strongly, since Easter celebrations are not restricted to Easter Sunday only, but they also include the previous week, Holy Week, during which the ceremonies preparing for the great celebration are carried out. The parish congregates to attend afternoon and evening services. On Good Friday the Epitaph is decorated with fresh, sweet-smelling flowers, and in the evening it is carried through the neighbourhoods followed by the congregation, who chant and scatter roseleaves onto it. The following night, on Easter Saturday, Resurrection is celebrated. The faithful, all equipped with candles, take home the "Holy Light", which has been passed on to the congregation. At home they sit around the festive table in order to enjoy the Mayiritsa and to smash the red painted eggs. On Easter Sunday people have barbecues in the countryside, grilling lambs and celebrating the Resurrection of Christ as well as the beginning of spring.
15 August, the Assumption of the Virgin, is also one of the major holidays of the Orthodox Church, which is combined with the summer holidays and jaunts to the beaches. Religious holidays also include the name days of saints, particularly of those who are the patron saints of towns and villages. The name day of the patron saint of a village is traditionally celebrated with Cretan dances in the village square. These festivities, which usually take place during the summer months, offer the opportunity for holidaymakers and locals to come together and represent a genuine occasion of entertainment for the people living in the country.
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