Rethymno ( el, Ρέθυμνο, , also ''Rethimno'', ''Rethymnon'', ''Réthymnon'', and ''Rhíthymnos'') is a city in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

on the island of

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

. It is the capital of Rethymno regional unit, and has a population of more than 30,000 inhabitants (near 40,000 for the municipal unit). It is a former Latin Catholic bishopric as Retimo(–Ario) and former Latin

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

. Rethymno was originally built during the

Minoan civilization The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands, whose earliest beginnings were from 3500BC, with the complex urban civilization beginning around 2000BC, and then declining from 1450BC ...

(ancient Rhithymna and Arsinoe). The city was prominent enough to mint its own coins and maintain urban growth. One of these coins is today depicted as the crest of the town: two

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...

s in a circle.

History

This region as a whole is rich with ancient history, most notably through the

Minoan The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands, whose earliest beginnings were from 3500BC, with the complex urban civilization beginning around 2000BC, and then declining from 1450B ...

civilisation centred at

Knossos Knossos (also Cnossos, both pronounced ; grc, Κνωσός, Knōsós, ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city. Settled as early as the Neolithic period, the na ...

east of Rethymno. Rethymno itself began a period of growth when the

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

conquerors of the island decided to put an intermediate commercial station between

Heraklion Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...

and Chania, acquiring its own

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

and nobility in the process. Today's old town (''palia poli'') was almost entirely built by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

. It is one of the best-preserved old towns in Crete. From circa 1250 the city was the seat of the Latin Diocese of Retimo, which was renamed Retimo–Ario after the absorption in 1551 of the Diocese of Ario and as suppressed only after the Turkish conquest. The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases,

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

and Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbour and narrow streets. The Venetian Loggia houses the information office of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. A Wine Festival is held there annually at the beginning of July. Another festival, in memory of the destruction of the Arkadi Monastery, is held on 7–8 November. The city's Venetian-era citadel, the Fortezza of Rethymno, is one of the best-preserved castles in Crete. Other monuments include the Neradje Mosque (the Municipal Odeon arts centre), the Great Gate ( or "Porta Guora"), the Piazza Rimondi and the Loggia. The town was captured by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

in 1646 during the

Cretan War (1645–69) Cretan War may refer to multiple wars involving the island of Crete, including: *Cretan War (205–200 BC), a war between King Philip V of Macedon and Rhodes *Cretan War (1645–69), a war between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire See ...

and they ruled it for almost three centuries. The town, called ''Resmo'' in Turkish, was the centre of a ''

sanjak Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ) * Armenian language, Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province") * Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region") * el, Διοίκησι� ...

'' (administrative part of a province) during Ottoman rule. During the

Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...

(20–30 May 1941), the Battle of Rethymno was fought between

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

paratroopers and the Second Australian Imperial Force and

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...

. Although initially unsuccessful, the Germans won the battle after receiving reinforcements from Maleme in the Northwestern part of the island. Today the city's main income is from tourism, many new facilities having been built in the past 20 years. Agriculture is also notable, especially for

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

and other Mediterranean products.

Municipality

The municipality of Rethymno was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units: *

Arkadi Arkadi ( el, Αρκάδι) is a former municipality in the Rethymno (regional unit), Rethymno regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rethymno, of which it is a municipal unit. The municip ...

* Lappa *

Nikiforos Fokas Nikiforos Fokas ( el, Νικηφόρος Φωκάς) is a former municipality in the Rethymno regional unit, Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rethymno, of which it is a municipal unit. The munic ...

*Rethymno ;Population of Rethymno

Culture

Rethymno is home to the following museums: *

Archaeological Museum of Rethymno The Archaeological Museum of Rethymno is a museum in Rethymno, Crete, Greece. Larnax, Early Minoan, hunting scene, AM Rethymno, 076112.jpg, Early Minoan larnax. Larnax, hunting of deer and ibex, deer, dog, Prepalatial, AM, Rethymno, 076113.jpg, Mi ...

*Historical and Folklore Museum of Rethymno *Municipal Gallery "L. Kanakakis" *The Frantzeskaki Collection *

Museum of Sea Life at Rethymno Museum of Sea Life at Rethymno was a museum in Rethymno, Crete, Greece.The Museum of Se ...

The

Treasure Hunt of Rethymno The treasure hunt in Rethymno is a game played by local people in Crete and takes place two weeks before Carnival. Rethymno currently holds the Guinness World Record for Treasure Hunt. All day long game During this long game, which lasts for one ...

is a game played by local people and takes place two weeks before

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

Literature

Pandelis Prevelakis Pandelis Prevelakis ( el, Παντελής Πρεβελάκης, sometimes transliterated Panteles Prevelakes; 18 February 1909 – 15 March 1986) was a Greek novelist, poet, dramatist and essayist—one of the leading Greek prose writers of the "G ...

wrote ''Το χρονικό μιας πολιτείας'' (1937), ''The Chronicle of a Town'', a nostalgic depiction of Rethymno from the period of the Cretan State (1898) to the expulsion of the

Cretan Turks The Cretan Muslims ( el, Τουρκοκρητικοί or , or ; tr, Giritli, , or ; ar, أتراك كريت) or Cretan Turks were the Muslim inhabitants of the island of Crete. Their descendants settled principally in Turkey, the Dodecanese ...

(1924).

Sports

Rethymno hosted the international athletics meeting known as Vardinogianneia. The athletics meeting stopped in 2012 due to Greek financial crisis. Rethymno has many sport clubs with presence in Panhellenic championships of various sports. Below is alist of the main sport clubs of Rethymno.

Education

In the Rethymno Campus of the University of Crete are located the School of Philosophy, the School of Education, the School of

Social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

Economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

and

Political Sciences Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

, and the University Library of the

University of Crete The University of Crete (UoC; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης) is a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented institution in Crete, Greece, located in the cities of Rethymno (official seat) and Heraklion, and one of the country's most aca ...

. On a yearly basis, there are about 8.000 students studying at "Galos" where the Campus and the Academic Institute of Mediterranean Studies are located. Also in Rethymnon is located the School of Music and Optoacoustic Technologies of th
Hellenic Mediterranean University
Finally, in Rethymno, Tria Monastiria area is located the international researc
Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser
ref> of the Hellenic Mediterranean University which is the access point of the National Research Facilit
HELLAS-CH
.

Geography

Climate

Notable locals

; Royalty and politics * Georgios Chortatzis (1545–1610), dramatist in Cretan verse * Ahmed Resmî Efendi (1700–1783), Ottoman statesman, author and ambassador * Nikolaos Sifounakis (born 1949), Greek politician * Emetullah Rabia Gülnuş Sultan (1642–1715), valide sultan *

Emmanouil Tsouderos Emmanouil Tsouderos ( el, Εμμανουήλ Τσουδερός, also transliterated as ''Emmanuel Tsouderos''; 19 July 1882 – 10 February 1956) was a political and financial figure of Greece. During World War II, he was the internationally r ...

(1882-1956), former

Prime Minister of Greece The prime minister of the Hellenic Republic ( el, Πρωθυπουργός της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας, Prothypourgós tis Ellinikís Dimokratías), colloquially referred to as the prime minister of Greece ( el, Πρωθυ� ...

; Other *

Stylianos Harkianakis Stylianos Harkianakis ( el, Στυλιανός Χαρκιανάκης; 29 December 1935 – 25 March 2019) was the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Australia and Primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. He served as inaugural and perm ...

(1935 - 2019), Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Australia *

Athanasius III of Constantinople Athanasius III Patellarios (born Alexios Patellarios, el, Αλέξιος Πατελλάριος, russian: Алексий Пателла́рий; 1597 – 5 April 1654) was the Patriarch of Constantinople in 1634, 1635 and 1652. Before his patr ...

, Patriarch *

(1909–1986), writer * Manolis Xexakis (born 1949), poet and writer *

Nick Dandolos Nikolaos Andreas Dandolos ( el, Νικόλαος Ανδρέας Δάνδολος; ; April 27, 1883 – December 25, 1966), commonly known as Nick the Greek, was a Greek professional gambler and high roller. Early life Dandolos was the son of ...

(1883–1966), professional poker player

International relations

Rethymno is twinned with : *

Ayia Napa Ayia Napa ( el, Άγια Νάπα tr, Aya Napa, ), officially romanised Agia Napa, is a tourist resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus. Etymology The name Ayia Napa is derived from a Venetian-era monastery of the same ...

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

Castenaso Castenaso ( Bolognese: ; la, Castrum Nasicae) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is located around away from Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna. Sports Associazione Sportiva Dilettantist ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

Gallery

File:Rethymno venetian port and fort.jpg, Panorama of the city File:Fontaine Rimondi (Réthymnon).JPG, Rimondi Fountain File:Loggia Rethymnou.JPG, Venetian loggia File:Porte Guora à Réthymnon.JPG, Guora Gate (Megali Pyli), old city gate File:Οδός Βερνάδου 3080.JPG, View of the old town File:Rethymno Sultan Ibrahim 19.JPG, Sultan Ibrahim mosque File:L'église catholique de Réthymnon.JPG, The catholic church of Agios Antonios File:Eleftherios Venizelos in Rethymno.JPG,

Eleftherios Venizelos Eleftherios Kyriakou Venizelos ( el, Ελευθέριος Κυριάκου Βενιζέλος, translit=Elefthérios Kyriákou Venizélos, ; – 18 March 1936) was a Greek statesman and a prominent leader of the Greek national liberation movem ...

statue

References

;Notes

External links

* * http://www.explorerrethymno.gr
Prefecture of Rethymno - Official websiteRethymno
The Official website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation {{Authority control Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Greek prefectural capitals Populated places in Rethymno (regional unit)