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Chania History: Information about the History of Chania
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Also known by the old name Kydonia, Chania was a Minoan community of obscure status: only scattered remnants have so far been brought to light, but many believe that there's a major palace still to be discovered somewhere in the vicinity.After the collapse of the Minoan palace culture, it grew into one of the island's most important cities- well enough know for its citizens to warrant a mention in Homer's Odyssey- and remained so through the classical Greek era.
When Rome came in search of conquest the city mounted a stiff resistance prior to its eventual capitulation in 69 BC, after which it flourished once more.The hillside area know as Kastelli served as the city's acropolis, but dwellings spread at least as far as the extent of the walled city which can be seen today.Roman mosaics from the era, have been discovered beneath the Cathedral Square and up near the present market. |
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CHANIA HISTORY
In early Christian times, Kydonia was the seat of bishop, and under the protection of Byzantium the city flourished along with the island.As the Byzantine Empire became increasingly embattled, however, so its further outposts, Kydonia (and Crete) included, suffered neglect. Not untill the thirteenth century is much heard of the place again, when the Genoese (with local support) seized the city from the Venetians and held it from 1263 to 1285.
When the Venetians finally won it back they acted quickly to strengthen the defences, turning the city - renamed La Canea - into a formidable bulwark in the west.The city walls were, buily in two stages.In the fourteenth century Kastelli alone was fortified: within these walls stood the original cathedral and the city administration.
Later, in the sixteenth century, new walls were constructed as a defence aigainst constant raids by pirate corsairs - in particular against the systematic ravages of Barbarossa.It is these defences, along with the Venetian harbour installations that define the shape of Chania's old town today.Within the walls, meanwhile, a flourish of public and private construction left La Canea perhaps the island's most beautiful city.
In 1645, after a two-month siege with terrible losses (mostly on the Turkish side-their commander was executed on his return home for losing as many as 40,000 men), Chania fell to Turks. It was the first major Cretan stronghold to succumb, becoming the Turkish island capital and seat of the pasha.Churches were converted to mossques, the defences more or less maintained, and there must have been at least some building: today it is barely possible to distinguish Venetian buildings maintained by the Turks from originals of Venetian or Turkish workmanship.
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| For the rest, it is a history of struggle: for independence during the nineteenth century, then in resistance against the Germans in World War II.In the independence struggle, the city's most dramatic moment came in 1897, following the outbreak of war between Greece and Turkey, when the great powers (Britain, France, Russia and Italy) imposed a peace and stationed a joint force in the waters off Chania.From here, in one famous incident, they bombarded Cretan insurgents attempting prematurely to raise the flag of Greece on the hill of Profitis Elias (today is a statue there and also the Venizelos graves, very nice place to visit).When the Turkish administrators were finaly forced to leave, Prince George, the high commissioner chosen by the powers, estabished his capital here for the brief period of regency before Crete finally became part of the Greek state.
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During World War II, with most of the German landings and the bulk of the fighting on the coast immediately west of the city, Chania suffered severe bombardment, this destruction eventuelly compounded by a fire which wiped out almost everything apart from the area around the harbour.In the final six months of their occupation of the island, the Germans withdrew to a heavily defended perimeter centered on the city.In the post-war period, the town was rebuilt and sprawling, traffic-congested suburbs now encircle the ancient core.The arrival of tourism has inspired the will- if not the resources- to save and restore much of the city's crumbling architectural heritage, and Chania is currrently enjoying a period of peace and prosperity unrivalled in its modern history.
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