Venetian Loggia of Rethymno

About

An elegant 16th century loggia.

The Venetian loggia of Rethymno was built in the 16th century as a meeting place for the Venetian nobility. It's a square building with arches on three sides, in the style of the architect Michele Sanmicheli.

During the Ottoman period it was turned into a mosque. Today it houses a shop selling copies of ancient artefacts.

The loggia is a fine example of Venetian Renaissance architecture, with elegant arches on three sides. It was the place where the Venetian nobles of Rethymno met to discuss politics and business. Today it's used as a shop for the Archaeological Receipts Fund, selling museum copies of ancient objects. It stands on Arkadiou street, close to the Rimondi fountain.

The area around Rethymno town mixes a lively Venetian old town with a long sandy coast and quiet villages in the hills. To the east, the beach runs for kilometres past Platanes and Adelianos Kampos, where loggerhead turtles nest in summer. Inland, villages such as Chromonastiri, Myloi, Atsipopoulo and Maroulas have old Venetian houses and tavernas with views. The Arkadi monastery and ancient Eleftherna are less than half an hour away. Try the local snails, staka with eggs and the town's famous pastries.

Anreise

In Rethymno itself, easy to reach on foot.

On the map

35.36960, 24.47450 · See on map