Siva.
Heraklion.
CRETE
274
450.
Kitharida.
Panagia Eleousa is a three-aisled, barrel-vaulted church with
an additional narthex extending along the three aisles. The
bema is covered by a dome, with a low circular drum. In the S
aisle is the interesting scene of Moses and the Burning Bush.
Decorative and well-executed “rosettes” (circular, glazed ce-
ramics) ornament the exterior façade of the barrel-vaulted
narthex.
coast of Heraklion, the road inland, and had visual contact
with the fortress at Temenos.
The barrel-vaulted, single-nave church of Saint Anthony at
Keramoutsi features wall-painted decoration dated to 1434-5,
according to a dedicatory inscription.
452.
Rogdia.
Rogdia was mentioned in a document of 1248 as Rodea and in
1395 as Chera Rodea, named after the Mid-Byzantine church
of Panagia (Chera means Lady). It is a single-nave, originally
timber-roofed church that was extensively reconstructed dur-
ing early Venetian occupation and survives to the present
day. The original N wall features double blind arcades. The
level surfaces are covered in plaster with carvings imitating
isodomic masonry. In the 13th c. a large part of the structure
collapsed, was rebuilt as a barrel-vaulted, single-nave church,
and was frescoed in the second half of the 13th c. Adjoining
the church, which was repeatedly repaired during Venetian
occupation, a luxurious mansion was built in 1564 for the local
feudal lords Georgios and Francesco Modino.
451.
Keramoutsi.
Near Keramoutsi, W of Heraklion city, on a range of hills, are
the scanty ruins of Castel Malvesin, also known as Malvicino,
a fortress that was the seat of the Castellany of Malevizi. As
reported by G. Gerola, it was built in the early 13th c. by the
Genoese E. Pescatore, in an attempt to challenge Venetian
domination by fortifying key sites. The fortress controlled the
448.
Siva.
The church of Aghia Paraskevi consists of a cavernous hollow
serving as the bema, to which has been added a rectangular
room covered with a low dome. Two layers of frescoes can be
discerned. From the second layer are preserved the Evange-
lists in the pendentives, and full-body saints on the side walls
(mid-14th c.).
449.
Aghios Myron.
This is a large, cross-in-square, tetrastyle church with dome
dedicated to Aghios Myron, bishop of Knossos in the 4th c.,
who is considered to have been born and suffered martyr-
dom at Raukos, the ancient city that existed here. The city
named after Aghios Myron is thought to have taken over the
see of Knossos towards the end of the first Byzantine period in
Crete; this view is corroborated by the existence of remnants
of an Early Christian basilica, upon which the cross-in-square
church was built. About 10 churches of the same architectural
type survive in Crete, and have been either episcopal church-
es or catholicons of monasteries. Their design was influenced
by Constantinopolitan architecture. The side façades feature
blind arcades. The masonry with brickwork is covered by con-
temporary plaster with carvings imitating isodomic masonry.
453.
Heraklion.
Heraklion is built on the site of the ancient city that was the
seaport of Knossos. It was prosperous in the Early Christian
period but probably fortified in the 7th c. due to Arab raids.
In 823 it was captured by the Arabs and converted to a cen-
tre for both commerce and piracy. The fortifications were
reinforced by the conquerors and the city of Heraklion was
renamed Chandax, from the Arabic for “Castle of the Moat”
(which surrounded the defences). In 961 the city was liberated
by Nikephoros Phokas, who planned to transfer it to a more
secure site inland. This is the reason he built the large fortress
at Temenos on two naturally fortified hills S of Chandax (which
was then renamed as Kastro). The inhabitants seemed not to
be in favour of this move and returned to the strongly fortified
city. In the second Byzantine period (961-1204) the political
authorities of the Theme of Crete and the archiepiscopal see
were transferred to Kastro from Gortyna. Very few buildings of
the time have been detected.
After the Fourth Crusade, when the island passed to the Vene-
tians, Kastro became the capital of the “Kingdom of Crete”,
named Candia, and seat of the duke of the island, of the Latin
archbishop, as well as of the Orthodox prelate (Orthodox bish-
ops had been banished). The fortifications were reinforced
and numerous glorious public and private buildings and Lat-
in churches were established. The cathedral of Saint Mark,
