Rethymno
Encyclopedia
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 (ancient Rhithymna
and Arsinoe
), even though was never a competitive Minoan centre. It was, however, strong enough to mint its own coins and maintain urban growth. One of these coins is today depicted as the crest of the town with two dolphin
s in a circle.
civilisation centred at Kydonia east of Rethymno. Rethymno itself began a period of growth when the Venetian
conquerors of the island decided to put an intermediate commercial station between Heraklion
and Chania
, acquiring its own bishop
and nobility in the process. Today's old town (palia poli) is almost entirely built by the Venetians
. It is one of the best preserved old towns in Crete.
The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine
and Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbour and narrow streets. The Venetian Loggia
houses the information office of the Ministry of Culture. A Wine Festival is held there annually at the beginning of July. Another festival, in memory of the destruction of the Arkadi Monastery
, is held on 7-8 November.
The city's Venetian-era citadel, the Fortezza, is one of the best-preserved castles in Crete. Other monuments include the Neratze mosque
(the Municipal Odeon arts centre), the Great Gate (Μεγάλη Πόρτα, Porta Guora), the Piazza Rimondi (Rimondi square) and the Venetian Loggia.
The town was also captured
by the Ottoman Turks
in 1646 and was ruled by them for almost three centuries. The town (Resmo in Turkish) was the centre of a sanjak
during Ottoman rule.
During the Battle of Crete
(20-30 May 1941), the Battle of Rethymno
was fought between German paratrooper
s and Australian
and Greek
forces. Although initially unsuccessful, the Germans won the battle after receiving reinforcements from Maleme
in the Northwestern part of the island
Today the city's main income is from tourism, many new facilities having been built in the past 20 years. Agriculture is also notable, especially for olive oil and other Mediterranean products. It is also the base of the Philosophical School and the University Library of the University of Crete
and the School of Social
and Political Sciences
having 8.000 students on its university campus per annum at "Galos", where the Academic Institute of Mediterranean Studies is situated. The city has an Archaeological Museum
and a Historical and Folklore Museum.
Pandelis Prevelakis
wrote Το χρονικό μιας πολιτείας (1937), The Chronicle of my Town, a nostalgic depiction of Rethymno from the period of the Cretan State
(1898) to the expulsion
of the Cretan Turks
(1924).
with: Pushkin
, Russia
Ayia Napa
, Cyprus
Castenaso
, Italy
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, the capital of Rethymno peripheral unit in the island of 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...
. It was built in antiquity (ancient Rhithymna
Rhithymna
Rhithymna or Rithymna or Rhithymnia , was an ancient town of Crete, Greece, which is mentioned by Ptolemy and Pliny the Elder as the first town on the north coast to the east of Amphimalla, and is spoken of as a Cretan city by Stephanus of Byzantium, in whose text its name is written Rhithymnia;...
and Arsinoe
Arsinoe (Crete)
Arsinoe was an ancient city of Crete assigned to Lyctus, adjacent to the older city of Rhithymna. Berkelius supposes that an error had crept into the text, and that for we should read . Its identification with Rhithymna was first proposed by Eckhel...
), even though was never a competitive Minoan centre. It was, however, strong enough to mint its own coins and maintain urban growth. One of these coins is today depicted as the crest of the town with two dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s in a circle.
History
This region as a whole is rich with ancient history, most notably through the MinoanMinoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
civilisation centred at Kydonia east of Rethymno. Rethymno itself began a period of growth when the Venetian
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...
conquerors of the island decided to put an intermediate commercial station between Heraklion
Heraklion
Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
and Chania
Chania
Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...
, acquiring its own bishop
Bishop (Orthodox Church)
A Bishop in the Orthodox Christian Church is the highest spiritual office within the Universal Church. Unlike in some other Christian denominations, an Orthodox bishop cannot interfere with other dioceses that are not under his own jurisdiction....
and nobility in the process. Today's old town (palia poli) is almost entirely built by the Venetians
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...
. It is one of the best preserved old towns in Crete.
The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbour and narrow streets. The Venetian Loggia
Loggia
Loggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
houses the information office of the Ministry of Culture. A Wine Festival is held there annually at the beginning of July. Another festival, in memory of the destruction of the Arkadi Monastery
Arkadi Monastery
The monastery of Arkadi is an Eastern Orthodox monastery, situated on a fertile plateau 14 mi to the southeast of Rethymnon on the island of Crete ....
, is held on 7-8 November.
The city's Venetian-era citadel, the Fortezza, is one of the best-preserved castles in Crete. Other monuments include the Neratze mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
(the Municipal Odeon arts centre), the Great Gate (Μεγάλη Πόρτα, Porta Guora), the Piazza Rimondi (Rimondi square) and the Venetian Loggia.
The town was also captured
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 Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
in 1646 and was ruled by them for almost three centuries. The town (Resmo in Turkish) was the centre of a sanjak
Sanjak
Sanjaks were administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire. Sanjak, and the variant spellings sandjak, sanjaq, and sinjaq, are English transliterations of the Turkish word sancak, meaning district, banner, or flag...
during Ottoman rule.
During the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
(20-30 May 1941), the Battle of Rethymno
Battle of Rethymno
The Battle of Rethymno, also known as the Battle of Retimo, was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the codename Unternehmen Merkur...
was fought between German paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
s and Australian
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
and Greek
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
forces. Although initially unsuccessful, the Germans won the battle after receiving reinforcements from Maleme
Maleme
Maleme is a town and airport to the west of Chania, in North Western Crete, Greece. It is located in Platanias municipality, in Chania prefecture....
in the Northwestern part of the island
Today the city's main income is from tourism, many new facilities having been built in the past 20 years. Agriculture is also notable, especially for olive oil and other Mediterranean products. It is also the base of the Philosophical School and the University Library of the University of Crete
University of Crete
The University of Crete ' is the principal higher education institution on the island of Crete, Greece.The University of Crete, is a multi-disciplinary, research- oriented institution, located in the cities of Rethymno and Heraklion...
and the School of Social
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
and Political Sciences
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
having 8.000 students on its university campus per annum at "Galos", where the Academic Institute of Mediterranean Studies is situated. The city has an Archaeological Museum
Archaeological Museum of Rethymno
The Archaeological Museum of Rethymno is a museum in Rethymno, Crete, Greece.-External links:*...
and a Historical and Folklore Museum.
Municipality
The municipality Rethymno was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:- ArkadiArkadiArkadi is a former municipality in the Rethymno peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rethymno, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 5,644 . The seat of the municipality was in Adele. Arkadi is renowned for its famous monastery....
- LappaLappa, RethymnoLappa is a former municipality in the Rethymno peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rethymno, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,628 . The seat of the municipality was in Episkopi. The municipality's name was a revival of...
- Nikiforos FokasNikiforos FokasNikiforos Fokas is a former municipality in the Rethymno peripheral unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rethymno, of which it is a municipal unit. It was named after the 10th century Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, who retook the...
- Rethymno
Literature
Pandelis Prevelakis
Pandelis Prevelakis , was a Greek novelist, poet, dramatist and essayist - one of the leading Greek prose writers of the "1930s generation". Most of his works are set in Crete.-Biography:He was born in Rethymno, in Crete, on 18 February 1909...
wrote Το χρονικό μιας πολιτείας (1937), The Chronicle of my Town, a nostalgic depiction of Rethymno from the period of the Cretan State
Cretan State
The Cretan State was established in 1898, following the intervention by the Great Powers on the island of Crete. In 1897 an insurrection in Crete led the Ottoman Empire to declare war on Greece, which led the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Russia to intervene on the grounds that the Ottoman...
(1898) to the expulsion
Population exchange between Greece and Turkey
The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey was based upon religious identity, and involved the Greek Orthodox citizens of Turkey and the Muslim citizens of Greece...
of the Cretan Turks
Cretan Turks
The Cretan Turks, Turco-Cretans , or Cretan Muslims were the Muslim inhabitants of Crete and now their descendants, who settled principally in Turkey, the Levant, and Egypt as well as in the larger Turkish diaspora.After the Ottoman conquest of Crete...
(1924).
Notable people of Rethymno
- Marcus MusurusMarcus MusurusMarcus Musurus was a Greek scholar and philosopher born in Retimo, Castello, Venetian Crete . The son of a rich merchant, he became at an early age a pupil of John Lascaris in Venice....
(1470–1517) scholar and philosopher - Ahmed Resmî EfendiAhmed Resmî EfendiAhmed Resmî Efendi , also called Ahmed bin İbrahim Giridî , was an Ottoman statesman, diplomat and author of the late 18th century...
Ottoman statesman, author and ambassador - Nick the GreekNick the GreekNicholas Andreas "Nick the Greek" Dandolos was born in Rethymnon, Crete and was a professional gambler and high roller.-Early life:...
, poker player - Pandelis PrevelakisPandelis PrevelakisPandelis Prevelakis , was a Greek novelist, poet, dramatist and essayist - one of the leading Greek prose writers of the "1930s generation". Most of his works are set in Crete.-Biography:He was born in Rethymno, in Crete, on 18 February 1909...
, (1909-1986) author of poetry, drama, essays, and studies. - Georgios ChortatzisGeorgios ChortatzisGeorgios Chortatzis was a Greek dramatist in Cretan verse. He was, along with Vitsentzos Kornaros, one of the main representatives of a school of literature in the vernacular Cretan dialect that flourished in the late 16th and early 17th centuries under Venetian rule. His best known work is...
, (1545–1610) Greek dramatist in Cretan verse.
International relations
Rethymno is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Pushkin
Pushkin (town)
Pushkin is a municipal town in Pushkinsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located south from the center of St. Petersburg proper, and its train station, Detskoye Selo, is directly connected by railway to the Vitebsky Rail Terminal of the city...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa is a resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus, famous for its sandy beaches. In recent years, apart from being a family holiday destination, it has become a 'party capital' together with Ibiza, Rimini and Mykonos...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
Castenaso
Castenaso
Castenaso is a town and comune in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is located around 12 kilometers away from Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
See also
- History of CreteHistory of CreteThe History of Crete goes back to the 7th Millennium B.C., preceding the ancient Minoan civilization by more than four millennia. The Minoan civilization was the first civilization in Europe and the first, in Europe, to build a palace...
- List of settlements in the Rethymno prefecture
- Municipal Gallery "L. Kanakakis"