Outpost of Santa Katerina #1190

Description

For the first couple of centuries, the Venetians relied on the old Byzantine fortifications on the hill Castello, near the port. This area became the core of the Venetian city, which gradually expanded beyond the original fortifications.

In 1538, after the devastating raids of the Turkish pirate Barbarossa in the Aegean and Crete, Venice decided to build a new fortification in Chania. The project was entrusted to architect Michele Sanmicheli, and construction was completed in 1568.

Despite these defenses, the fortifications could not stop the Ottomans. In 1645, the Turks invaded Crete and, after a 56-day siege, captured Chania, though with significant losses.