The Venetian walls of Heraklion
The Venetian walls of Heraklion are the best-preserved fortification in the Mediterranean. The Walls were so strong that they withstood a twenty-year siege by the army of the Ottoman Empire, the most powerful army of the 17th century.
Their construction began in the mid-15th century and took almost 200 years to complete, designed by pioneering Venetian engineers of the 16th century. The fortification covers an area of about 350 acres and has a polygonal layout with a total length of approximately 5.5 kilometers. The walls are divided into two parts: the land side and the seafront, with the former being stronger in terms of both design and construction.
A deep moat was constructed in front of the city walls, parts of which are now used as green spaces, outdoor theaters, playgrounds, and sports facilities.
The fortification consists of seven bastions, connected by straight sections of the wall. Of these, five are land bastions forming a wide neck where they meet the wall.
Specially designed areas known as low squares, where cannon embrasures remain, are located on the sides of these necks. The two sea bastions (Sabbionara to the northeast and San Andrea or Gate of Assault to the northwest) were smaller and incomplete due to their positioning.
Gates were opened in front of each bastion, connecting the city with the moat and the outskirts. In the mid-16th century, under the threat of the Ottomans, supplementary fortifications known as ravelins were built at the necks of the bastions to strengthen the walls, offering better surveillance of the surroundings of Chandax (Heraklion).
BASTIONS
The Vitturi Bastion
The Bastion of Jesus
The Bastion of Martinengo
The Bastion of Bethlehem
The Bastion of Pantocrator
The Bastion of San Andrea
