Kornarou Square description and photos - Greece: Heraklion (Crete) (Topic)

Kornarou Square description and photos - Greece: Heraklion (Crete). Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Kornarou Square.

Photo and description

Kornaru Square is one of the most popular places in Heraklion city. The square got its name in honor of the great Cretan poet Viszeno Kornaros, who is a representative of the Cretan Renaissance.

Kornaru square is home to the oldest surviving fountain in the city, dating back to the 16th century and known as the "Bembo fountain". The fountain is named after the Venetian Gianmatteo Bembo who built it. The fountain is made from pieces of ancient marble (presumably from fragments of a Roman sarcophagus). The facade of the building with columns and pilasters is decorated with relief Venetian coats of arms. In the center of the fountain there is a headless Roman statue of a man brought from Ierapetra.

Next to the fountain there is a sculptural composition: a bronze statue of the equestrian Erotokritus and his beloved Aretusa (heroes of the famous poem "Erotokrit" by Visenzo Kornaros, which is considered one of his best works). The sculpture is made in full size.

During the Venetian domination on the site of the modern sculptural composition was the now destroyed Cathedral of Christ the Savior (Spassky Cathedral). It was a majestic elongated structure that managed to withstand despite the numerous earthquakes that repeatedly destroyed Heraklion. Later, during the Ottoman Empire, the church, like most Venetian architectural masterpieces, was converted into a mosque dedicated to Valida Sultan. In 1960, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was destroyed.

There is also an old Turkish gazebo on the square, converted into a cozy coffee shop. Here you can rest admire the Venetian fountain and sip delicious coffee.

Topic: Kornarou Square description and photos - Greece: Heraklion (Crete).