Why go
The Venetian walls make more sense once you know Candia resisted an Ottoman siege from 1648 to 1669. This chapter connects the scale of those defences with the change from Venetian to Ottoman rule, and gives historical meaning to the name Megalo Castro, or Big Castle.
The full story
Ottoman forces took much of Crete in the 1640s, but Venetian-held Candia resisted. The siege of the city began in 1648 and ended with its surrender in 1669. It lasted 21 years, making it one of the longest sieges in history. The walls were not a decorative boundary: they were the focus of a prolonged military campaign, supplied and contested from both land and sea. As the conflict dragged on, other European powers became involved, but Venice ultimately lost the city. The surrender allowed Christians to leave with what they could carry, while Venice retained several fortified island positions elsewhere around Crete. Under Ottoman rule, the city was officially called Kandiye. Greek speakers also used Megalo Castro, meaning Big Castle, a name that recalls the prominence of its fortifications. The harbour gradually silted up during this period, and much shipping shifted west to Chania. Seen together, the walls, harbour and changing names show how a fortified Venetian capital became an Ottoman city.
Useful to know
- Walk part of the Venetian walls before reading the siege history; their scale makes the 21-year defence easier to grasp.
- Pair the walls with the old harbour to see the city's land and sea defences as one system.