EASTERN CRETE

C H A P T E R 4
The Venetian castle
of Sitia in an old
engraving. Today
the fortress, known
as kazarma and
which was
destroyed by the
Ottomans, has been
partially restored.
The Venetian
influence in
architecture and
arts is still to be felt
in many places
around Sitia
Starting out from Sitia (the city which has
lent its name to the whole region, in that
Lasithi is simply a distortion of the Venetian
"La Sitia"), our journey takes us into the most
hidden lands of the Eteocretans, the "true
Cretans", who, after the destruction of the
Minoan palaces, preserved the customs, the
language and the religion of the Minoans for
many centuries. Following the end of the
ancient world it was, however, the Venetians
who left a strong imprint on the region, and
their traces can be found in the cities, the
small villages and the ruins dotted about
the territory. In a document of the era, the
Venetians describe the population of Sitia
as "peaceable and respectful of the laws
and lovers of feasts".
The Turkish presence was also strong,
governing the region with an iron fist, and
the occupiers were guilty of innumerable
massacres many of which were the work of
Khaireddin Barbarossa, a pirate in the pay
of the Ottomans.
78