Venetian Loggia description and photos - Greece: Heraklion (Crete) (Topic)

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

Photo and description

The Venetian Loggia is located in the center of Heraklion, on 25 Augusta Street, not far from the Basilica of St. Mark and the Lion's Square. The elegant building of the Loggia is one of the best architectural monuments of Venetian Crete.

The Loggia was a kind of a noble club and a public building. Noble people of the city gathered here not only to solve economic and political problems, but also to relax and take a break from state concerns. The Loggia was the center of local administrative and social life. State decrees were read from its balconies, and the duke watched litanies (prayer petitions, part of the service) and parades.

According to historical sources, four Loggias were built in Heraklion, but the first three have not survived to this day and it is not known for certain what they looked like. The structure that we see today was built on the initiative of Francesco Morosini in 1626-1628. The Loggia is a two-story rectangular building with an open gallery on the ground floor, and is an example of a virtuoso combination of Doric (first floor) and Ionic (second floor) styles. The Heraklion Loggia is an accurate representation of the famous Palladian Basilica in the Italian city of Vicenza. During the rule of the Turks, the Loggia was used to house the Treasury of Crete.

In 1898, when Crete gained its independence, the Loggia building was in very poor condition. In 1915, restoration work began on a project by the Venetian engineer Ongaro. Work was interrupted during World War II, but resumed at the end. Today the Loggia has been restored to its original form and houses the City Hall.

In 1987, the loggia was awarded the first prize of the international organization for the protection of monuments "Europa Nostra" for the most successful restoration and use of a historic building.

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Topic: Venetian Loggia description and photos - Greece: Heraklion (Crete).