Church of the Four Martyrs

About

Rethymno's largest church.

The church of the Four Martyrs is the largest church in Rethymno, located just outside the old town. It's dedicated to four local men who were executed by the Ottomans in 1824 for refusing to convert to Islam.

The church was built in the 1970s on the site of an older church. Inside are fine icons.

The four martyrs, Angelis, Manouil, Georgios and Nikolaos, were men from the Rethymno area who had been secretly Christian and refused to deny their faith. They were executed in 1824, and their feast day on 28 October is an important celebration in Rethymno. The church is the largest in the town and has an impressive interior.

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.

Getting there

In Rethymno itself, easy to reach on foot.

On the map

35.36687, 24.47517 · See on map