Archaeological sites in the district of Rethymno
The Fortezza Fortress
The Venetian Fortezza fortress is built on the Paleokastro hill, on the west of the city. On this hill lay once the citadel of the ancient city of Rithymna and the temple of Artemis. The settlement was probably next to the port, however there are no evidence of the settlement, the citadel or the temple. The fortress was built between 1573 and 1580 by the Venetians, in order to protect the city from the Turks. The Fortezza fortress is a trademark of the Cretan city. Every summer – for the last 18 years – the Renaissance Festival of Rethymno takes place in the theatre Erofili inside the fortress, with theatrical shows, dancing and artistic events, art exhibitions, lectures and movie screenings.
Onithe of Goulediana
The spot Onithe lies near the village Goulediana on a height of 700 meters. The fertile land, the water, the safe outing towards the sea and the control of an important passageway made the location an ideal place for the establishment of settlements and the development of cultures since the ancient years. On the highest spot of the old city lies the citadel which reaches a sharp cliff. Based on the building techniques used, the citadel must have been constructed during the Hellenistic period.
Necropolis of Armenoi
In 1969 two school students gave brought two ancient vessels from the spot Prinokefalo of the Armenoi municipality to the Archaeological Museum of Rethymnon. Later researches revealed that there is a large ancient cemetery in the location dated back to the late Minoan period. Excavations are still in progress, but so far, more that 220 tombs have been found. The items found (ceramics, weapons, tools, jewels) provide us with important information on the art, the religion and social structure of the era.
