Fountain in Greece. Where is. Venetian harbor and Kules fortress
Heraklion is the capital of Crete, the “gateway of the island”. On this moment This fifth largest city in Greece with big international airport and seaport. Heraklion is worth visiting at least for the Archaeological Museum alone; in my opinion, this is the main attraction of Heraklion. But besides this museum, there is something to see here - so, first things first.
Sights of Heraklon
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum of Heraklion displays a rich collection of objects and artifacts Minoan civilization. Stunning finds belong to different eras from the Neolithic to the Roman Empire, but the most remarkable collection represents exhibits of Minoan culture. You will see here beautiful frescoes from excavations of palaces on the island of Crete: from Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and other Minoan settlements on Crete, as well as votive figurines, gold jewelry, dishes, weapons and sarcophagi. In simple terms, this is absolutely iconic place, where to ancient history you can practically touch it. Believe me, this is a completely unique museum, significant not only within Greece, but also, of course, within the framework of world human civilization.
Museum address: Xanthoudidou Str. 2
Venetian harbor and Kules fortress
Be sure to take a walk along the Venetian pier to the Kules fortress, it is perfectly preserved. The entrance to the fortress is via a dam, which blocks the quiet fishing harbor from the sea waves. Here you can admire a variety of yachts, boats, caiques and other vessels. Sea air, fresh wind and sun will make the walk very pleasant.
The Kules fortress was built by the Venetians in the 16th century and served as a refuge from the Turkish siege, which lasted 21 years. If you are lucky and the fortress is not closed for restoration, you will pay little for entry - about 2 euros. And it’s worth doing it at least for the sake of picturesque view to the city, the islet of Diya and the Psilorit mountains, which opens from the top of the battlements of the fortress.
(in the photo of the fortress below, pay attention to the waves breaking against the walls from the sea, and how quiet it is in the harbor; tourists’ favorite pastime is to run from these waves and take photographs of this fascinating process))
Surely you will notice the remains of an ancient building with huge arches in front of the harbor on the city side. This is the Venetian Arsenal - an enterprise where warships were built and equipped.
Cathedral of Saint Titus
Orthodox. It was originally built by the Byzantines. Named after the saint who preached Christianity in Crete in the 1st century. The cathedral suffered several earthquakes and various metamorphoses: during the period of Venetian domination it was Catholic cathedral, and during the time of the Turks it was converted into a mosque. In 1923, the cathedral was consecrated again as Orthodox church. The building is comfortably located in a quiet and peaceful square. In the chapel to the left of the entrance there is a shrine containing the relics (head) of St. Titus.
Agiou Titou Sq./ 25 Avgoustou Str.
Venizelos Square with the Morosini Fountain and St. Mark's Cathedral
A small but crowded and noisy square is the heart of Heraklion. The famous one attracts attention here Morosini fountain
, the stone bowl of which is held by four marble lions, which is why the square is also called the Square of Lions. The fountain itself was built in 1628 not only for decorative, but also for practical purposes: it received fresh water from the slopes of Mount Yukhtas. The water supply was laid under the governor of Crete, Francesco Morosini, after whom the fountain was named.
To be completely honest, the Morosini fountain is, of course, cute and cute, but... not particularly impressive) It is more interesting from a historical point of view. And you won’t pass by it if you walk in the old town.
In the photo above, an elegant vaulted gallery can be seen directly behind the fountain. St. Mark's Cathedral
. If you have been to Venice, you will immediately understand that this building was built by the Venetians (only it does not look much like a temple). It was already in 1239, the basilica was named in honor of the patron saint of Venice - the Apostle Mark. Now it is the city gallery of Heraklion, where art exhibitions are constantly held.
Venizelou Square.
Unfortunately, there are not as many architectural attractions in Heraklion as there could be: during the Second World War, the city was subjected to massive bombing.RI will continue the story about the sights of Heraklion below. Now I’ll digress a little to look at the map of the city center.
Below on Heraklion map I noted bus station- look for it in the upper right corner - it’s easy to walk from it to the very center of the city. And before Archaeological Museum- just two steps (to the southwest;)). Buses are the easiest way to travel around the cities of Crete. Sea port, where huge ferries from all over the world arrive, you can also see in the upper right corner (above the bus station). The old town and the most interesting places are marked with an oval in the center. Interesting things await you here architectural structures, themNumerous restaurants, cafes and shops.
Other attractions of Heraklion (rather minor)
Historical Museum of Crete
The museum tells the history of Crete, from the early Christian era to the 20th century. The first floor introduces the times of the Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman eras. On the second floor there is a reconstructed Byzantine church and a gallery of icons and paintings by the famous Cretan artist Domenico Theotokopouli, probably known to you as El Greco. The third floor is dedicated partly to the classic of Greek literature Nikos Kazantzakis, partly to the times of the Second World War.
Museum address: Lysimachou Kalokairinou Str. 7 and Sofokli Venizelou Str. 27.
Natural History Museum of Crete
Earthquake simulator in the basement - this seems to be the most unusual thing here. The museum also tells about the animals of Crete, the flora and fauna of this island. There are many installations depicting wild animals, including extinct ones. For example, it is interesting to recreate the huge elephant Deinotherium, which lived 9 million years ago. The Stavros Niarchos Discovery Center features interactive nature films.
Sofokli Venizelou Str. - on the very edge of the seashore.
Dominican Church of St. Peter
The recently restored church is located very close to the harbor - to the east of it. The temple was built by Dominican monks back in the 13th century. Unique frescoes dating back to the 15th century are located in the south chapel. Archaeological excavations are still being carried out on the territory of the temple. The building of St. Peter's Church is an architectural and historical monument Middle Ages. After the completion of the reconstruction work, this monument was opened to visitors.
Sofokli Venizelou Ave. Free (for now)).
Bastion Martinego
The old city is surrounded on all sides by massive fortress walls - they were built by the Venetians. They are clearly visible on the map above. In some places the walls reach a height of 60 meters. Of the four gates, only two have survived: the gates of Jesus and Pantocrator. But contrary to my personal expectations, these walls did not become somehow a vivid impression from Heraklion. It's worth climbing them just for a good view of the Old city. If this is a strong hook in your program, you shouldn't do it.
Cathedral of Saint Menas (Minas) - Agios Minas
The cathedral is one of the largest in Greece and can accommodate up to 8 thousand people (however, a Russian person will not be impressed by its grandiose size;)). Construction began in 1862. Saint Minas is the patron saint of the city of Heraklion. There are several wonderful stories associated with this building. One of them is about a bomb that fell on the roof of the cathedral on May 23, 1941, but did not explode. The cathedral is beautiful and harmonious, and certainly deserves to be seen as one of the main attractions of Heraklion.
Not far from the Cathedral of St. Minas (not next to the left, but somewhat behind it) there is an outwardly not very remarkable St. Catherine's Church, built in 1555, is an example of a mixture of Byzantine and Venetian architecture. It houses a museum of religious art, where you can find the most complete collection of icons in Greece. These walls remember the famous icon painter Michael Damascene, who was the first to use perspective and elements of the Italian Renaissance in Orthodox icons. The heart of the modern collection consists of six of his works.
There are several other temples in the city, but if you are far from religious, you are unlikely to be interested in visiting them.
Some tour operator websites are misleading that the famous Palace of Knossos is also located in Heraklion. It is located near Heraklion, but not in the city itself.
Heraklion today is not only a number of attractions that I wrote about, it is many taverns and restaurants with a Greek flavor, it is a shopping center, economic and Cultural Center, as a capital should be. In fact, I wouldn’t go to Crete just for the architecture of Heraklion. But for the sake of palaces Minoan era and the Archaeological Museum - yes!
Allow one, maximum two days for sightseeing in the city of Heraklion (unless you have any special preferences).
Other cities, resorts and attractions of the island:
- Malia - vibrant nightlife and beautiful beaches of Crete
We came to the Morosini Fountain by accident. While vacationing on the island of Crete, I had the opportunity to walk around the center of Heraklion for several days in search of something like this. Because by and large interesting city I can’t name Heraklion. But if you explore it on your own, walking around the center and walking along the narrow streets of the ancient parts of the city, then it is really possible to unearth some really good sights.
Where is
The Morosini Fountain is in the center Greek city Heraklion, located on the island of Crete and is its capital. Since we came across the attraction by chance and on our own, just in case, the landmarks for searching are the State Gallery of Art and Theotokopoulos Park.
Address
Pl. El. Venizelou, Iraklio 712 02, Greece
Where to park
When arriving in the center of Heraklion by car, including the Morosini Fountain, you need to keep in mind that most of the streets are not intended for travel by car. Therefore, it is better to park somewhere away from the city center and walk most of the way. The distances between the main attractions in the capital are not that large, so it was quite possible for us to cover most of them on foot. There was only one circumstance that prevented us from doing this - it was very hot, so it was difficult to move through the completely concreted city into the thick of it.
General impressions
The Morosini Fountain is practically the only significant object of this type in Heraklion. Therefore, based on the result, we decided for ourselves that it was definitely worth coming here. We read and studied information about the Fountain after visiting it, so I had to gather impressions after returning from Greece.
It was very surprising that the Fountain was named not in honor of the architect or engineer who created or designed it, but in honor of the then current mayor of the city, who initially had the idea of creating a water supply center for the entire area on this site. The fountain was created more for practical purposes than for beauty. Although, in my opinion, the Morosini Fountain looks great and gives the impression of a truly beautiful and harmonious structure.
At first glance, it becomes clear that the attraction is a monument from the times of Venetian domination on greek islands. The Italian luxury of the Baroque style did not leave indifferent even my fellow traveler, who is not particularly versed in art.
The design of the Fountain is a complex structure. The fountain's pool is made of several volumetric bowls, which depict scenes from Greek mythology. For me, as a person knowledgeable in this area, it was interesting to consider them in detail. Most of contained plots involving sea gods, nymphs, dolphins and newts. There were lions on large bowls. They sit and hold one large bowl on their heads and backs.
It is surprising that now the Morosini Fountain is both a landmark, an architectural monument, and a working fountain.
Advantages and disadvantages
We really liked the execution of the Fountain and its design. I especially enjoyed studying the scenes from Greek mythology depicted on the bowls. Another significant plus was the fact that there are many different cafes in the area. And since our time at the Fountain happened to be for lunch, we decided not to pass by and chose one of the establishments next to the attraction.
It was immediately clear that we were not the only ones who fell in love with this view. There were a lot of people sitting around us local residents who also dined in these places.
The only drawback for us was that there was no access to the Morosini Fountain, and we had to walk for a long time under the scorching sun.
The Morosini Fountain is an ancient fountain located in historical center city of Heraklion, on the island of Crete. The fountain is considered one of the most famous city attractions and is very popular among tourists.
Another name for the Morosini fountain is “Lion Fountain”. It was built in 1628 by order of Francesco Morosini, then governor of the island of Crete. The base of the fountain was decorated with scenes from Greek mythology, and the top was crowned with a marble statue of the god Poseidon with a trident. This sculpture was destroyed during the occupation of the island by the Turks, but over time the invaders restored the fountain, replacing Poseidon with four lions. Interestingly enough, these marble lions are at least three hundred years older than the fountain itself.
Nowadays, the Morosini Fountain is recognized as a historical monument and is under the auspices of the state. It is located in the center of a small, picturesque square, surrounded by ancient buildings and cozy cafes. This favorite place for walks for Heraklion residents and city guests.
Coordinates: 35.33919400,25.13317800
Bembo Fountain
The Bembo Fountain is the oldest surviving fountain in the city of Heraklion. It is located on Cornaro Square. The fountain is named after the Venetian Gianmatteo Bembo, who built it in 1588. The fountain is made of pieces of ancient marble, the facade is decorated with pilasters and columns, relief Venetian coats of arms and a Roman statue. The headless Roman statue was brought from Ierapetra.
Morosini Fountain
The Morosini Fountain is located in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, Greece. The fountain is located in the center of Venizelos Square. The governor of Crete, Francesco Morosini, after whom the fountain is named, with the help of engineers Jorge Cornere, Raffaello Monnani and Francesco Basilicata, was able to lay a pipeline to bring water to the city from the slopes of Mount Juhtas. Thus, the fountain, opened in 1628, was built not only for decorative purposes, but also for practical purposes: fresh water flowed into it. It was the beginning of a 15-kilometer water supply network throughout Candia.
The fountain bowl is supported by four seated marble lions. The lions decorating the fountain are a symbol of the Venetian Republic, which then ruled Crete. Previously, the bowl contained a sculpture of Poseidon with a trident, but it was destroyed by an earthquake.
The fountain's pool is decorated with relief images of figures from Greek mythology: sea gods, nymphs, dolphins and newts.
Coordinates: 35.33702000,25.13223900
Fountain "Lion"
The Lion Fountain also has another name - the Morosini Fountain - an ancient fountain located in the historical center of Heraklion, on the island of Crete. The fountain is a wonderful attraction and is in great demand among tourists.
It was built in 1628, the customer was Francesco Morosini. At the top of the fountain there is a marble statue of the god Poseidon with a trident, the base is decorated with scenes from Greek mythology.
The sculpture was destroyed during the capture of the island by the Turks, but over time the fountain was restored, but replacing Poseidon with four lions.
Now the Morosini Fountain is recognized as a historical monument and is under the auspices of the state, located in the center of a small, picturesque square, and there are also ancient buildings and cozy cafes nearby. This beautiful place for walks of Heraklion residents and, of course, city guests.
Coordinates: 25.75900000,35.20200000
Lviv Square in Heraklion is one of the most active and visited areas of the city. There are always a lot of young people here who use it to make dates; tourists relax here in numerous cafes and shop in local stores.
The most important attraction in this square is, of course, Morosini fountain. It was not originally built for decorative purposes. The fountain served as a source of water for city residents, which came here through a 15-kilometer-long pipeline. Both the fountain and the water supply were designed by the Italian architect Morosini, whose name it bears.
The grand opening of the fountain took place on April 25, 1628, on the feast of St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice. The fountain is located on a round base and is decorated with engraved scenes from ancient Greek mythology, dolphins, nymphs and other mythical creatures that live in water element. In the middle of the Morosini fountain, on an octagonal pedestal, there are four lions with water flowing from their mouths.
Initially, these lions were not there and they were not connected to the fountain. In the case of the Morosini fountain, they symbolized the power of Venice. In the past, a statue of Poseidon was located in the center of the fountain. A work of local craftsmen, it, unfortunately, was destroyed.
During the Turkish occupation, the fountain's facade was perforated in many places and was used for the ritual of washing the face, hands and feet before prayers. Marble columns and a plaque dedicated to Sultan Abdul Mesit were then added.
In 1900, the fountain was restored to its original appearance. Today it is decorative and very popular among both locals and tourists. Near the square there are many hotels where city guests can stay. A detailed list of hotels in Greece can be found here romaninvest.com/poisk-otelei-v-grecie. This will help you make a choice in advance.
Next to Lviv Square is the Venetian Loggia. This beautiful building was also designed by Morosini and built here in the 17th century. Here the people who governed the city met to resolve economic and social issues, and it was also used as a place where they rested after government affairs.