Heraklion Venetian Loggia
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Location: Town
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The impressive Venetian Loggia stands in the heart of Heraklion Town, near the Morosini Lions Fountain and the church of Agios Titos. It is considered one of the most elegant Venetian constructions on the entire island and it has now been renovated, housing the Town Hall of Heraklion.
Loggias were a typical feature of Venetian towns, constituting a place where Venetian noblemen gathered and discussed the local economic and political issues. At the same time, they also hosted a variety of social events and served as recreational clubs for the nobles.
The Loggia that survives to this day was built in 1628 by the Venetian governor Francesco Morozini, who was also responsible for many other public works. According to historical accounts, there had been another three loggias before this one, but for various reasons, they were destroyed and had to be rebuilt.
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Book nowfrom € 15.00Category: Hop On Hop Off2 days MapDiscover the history and architecture of Heraklion and admire the views from the top of a double-decker hop-on-hop-off bus with a ticket valid for 48 hours.
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Book nowfrom € 97.00Category: City, Gastronomy4 hours MapHead straight into the heart of Heraklion on this guided walking tour. Wander its back streets, admire its monuments, sample a variety of local delicacies, and learn about the influences that have combined to make Heraklion the city it is today.
More about the Venetian Loggia
It is a rectangular two-story building following the Palladian style. The ground floor had Doric columns and boasted an arcade decorated with triglyphs, metopes and relief sculptures. The upper floor had Ionian columns, while the western side was adorned with seven arches. The source of inspiration for the Loggia is claimed to have been the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza.
When the Turks conquered Crete, they made the Loggia their administrative center, but the building was badly damaged after the earthquake of 1856. When Crete became autonomous in 1898, it was proposed that the Loggia should be used to house the archaeological museum. However, works came to an abrupt end when the edifice was deemed to be unsafe. In 1904, it was claimed to be in danger of collapsing and it began to be hastily pulled down. Fortunately, the demolition was not completed, and, in 1915, renovation works started. They were often interrupted though, due to the Second World War and other historical events, so they were only completed in 1980.
In 1987, the Loggia of Heraklion received the Europa Nostra award for the best-renovated European monument of the year.
