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Venetian epoch

Here you find all articles about the Venetian epoch and its monuments.

Naxos under Ottoman rule

26. October 2023

The last duke of the Aegean: Josph Nasi In 1566, the last Venetian Duke of Naxos, Jakob Crispi, was deposed and imprisoned by the Turks, to whom he had become a tributary since the raids by the Tur…

The Venetian towers

Among the many remarkable sights on the island of Naxos are the Venetian fortified towers – evidence of a turbulent time. No other island in the Aegean has as many Venetian towers as Naxos. After t…

Agios Pachomios near Tsikalario

Near the village of Tsikalarió lies the chapel of St Pachomios, one of the many small Byzantine churches scattered around the island. It is of interest to us here because it is linked to the histor…

The Venetian tower and monastery of Agia

In the mostly uninhabited northwest of Naxos lies hidden in a secluded lush valley a small monastery called Agiá. Nearby on a hill stands a dilapidated Venetian tower. The Venetian tower of Agiá …

The Jesuit monastery in Kalamitsia

21. December 2010

Between the villages of Mélanes and Potamiá, in a sheltered, hidden valley called Kalamítsia, lies an old, partially dilapidated building that was once the country house (“palace”) of the Jesuit or…

The Venetian fortress Apano Kastro

13. November 2010

In addition to the Venetian castle in the Chóra of Naxos, there is a second Venetian fortress on the island: the Apáno Kástro near Tsikalarió. It is located on a steep hill between the valley of Po…

The Venetian Castro in the Chora

The harbour town of Naxos, Chora, is crowned by the Venetian Castro, which covers a rather small area, but (according to the Naxos guide from Müller-Verlag) it is the only Venetian castle outside I…

Naxos under the Venetians

IIn 1204, during the 4th Crusade, the Franks and Venetians conquered Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, because the Emperor of Byzantium, who had called them to support him agains…

The Chora

Unfortunately there is yet no translation available for this page as well as for descriptions of the hiking tours you find under the links below. Maybe try to translate the page with Google transl…

The Byzantine fortress of Apalirou

10. November 2009

The most important Byzantine fortress of Naxos is located in the southwest of the island between the small village of Sangrí and the bay of Agiassós. The large castle complex occupies the top of th…