An ancient building, as beautiful as Venice. Wonderful, like Greece. Fancy arches, great loggias, heralds, all from the past. Well, gentlemen, shall we go in?
Heraklion is the main city of Crete. Crete. There stands an ancient building: gorgeous arches, large loggias, heralds - all from the past. Today there's just a presence there. And people wander around. They marvel at the beauty of the structure, walk through the galleries. It's always noisy there - the tours. Let's drop in here, too.
Of course, today, from a distance of centuries, it is good to look, admire and marvel at architectural masterpieces. But then, in the 17th century, it is unlikely that the inhabitants of Crete were weeping with happiness. Crete wept with happiness, for two reasons. Firstly, on the Greek lands, no idea by what grace, appeared the Venetian Republic (where Venice and where Crete!). Secondly, the traditional local Greek style in the architecture of some Francesco Morosini, as much as 108 Venetian Doge, took and replaced it with luxurious (from our temporary bell tower) arched and twisted Renaissance - he built Venetian Loggia on Crete.
Anyway, vacationing in Heraklion today, it is considered bad form not to see this very Venetian Loggia, an elegant two-story quadrangular building with arches outside and masterpieces inside. What masterpieces? How about the medallions of famous Cretans on the interior columns: El Greco, Nikos Kazandzakis and other "stars", are they not masterpieces? Then go to Heraklion, visit the Venetian Loggia on Crete and judge for yourself whether these images are worth the highest title of "masterpiece".
Don't worry, you can easily go inside - now it's just the Heraklion City Hall. Under the Turks there was a treasury. During the holy Venetian Republic of St. Mark's there was a stock exchange. But now tourists wander in droves through the gallery on the first floor: here and there there are photo shoots, noise, clamor, lots of cars.
For quiet Heraklion (though it is the main city of Crete) such bustle is not too typical. But how could it be different at the place, where initially there was ... stock exchange? Apparently, the gods decided (and they all come from Crete) that it is not good to be quiet in the once bustling Loggia.
After all, an exchange is an exchange, but the Venetian Loggia in Crete soon became a sort of "noblemen's meeting of the Cretans": since 1628, when this architectural beauty opened the doors to the nobility, the nobles and other power loafers, the building became a debauched club, where there was something to drink and something to "pobank" (in Greek "trapeza" is a bank).
During the meetings, important questions were decided: who, where, why, with whom and why. Well, not without the local executives leading the public life: as soon as they made a decision, immediately an herald came out on the balcony and started to announce the news with a resounding voice. However, not only official screamers stood on the loggia: the dukes watched the parades and processions from there.
Then the building was rectangular with an open arcade - well, it was the "little sister" of the famous Palladio basilica in Vicenza. Of course, nowadays the Venetian Loggia is no fun - only serious men and ladies sit in the offices of power. But if you touch the walls of the beautiful Loggia with the palm of your hand, you'll feel what it used to be. And if you close your eyes... A whirlwind of centuries, the whisper of the gods, and you're in a medieval Loggia...
A total of four Loggias were erected in Heraklion, but only one has survived. At the end of the 19th century the building was in a terrible condition. However, in 1915, according to the project of the Venetian engineer Ongo, restoration work began, which was interrupted in 1940 because of the Second World War. After the end of the hostilities, the restoration of the building was resumed and in 1987 the Venetian Loggia of Heraklion was awarded as the most successful restoration.
The building of the Venetian Loggia is located in the center of Heraklion on August 25th Street, near Lion's Square.
