Rethymno Ρέθυμνο
View of Rethymno from the fortress.
Location
Rethymno
Coordinates	35°22′N 24°28′E / 35.367°N 24.467°E / 35.367; 24.467Coordinates: 35°22′N 24°28′E / 35.367°N 24.467°E / 35.367; 24.467
Location within the region
Government
Country:	Greece
Region:	Crete
Regional unit:	Rethymno
Mayor:	Giorgos Marinakis (PASOK)
Population statistics (as of 2001)
Municipality
- Population:	54,900
- Area:	397.5 km2 (153 sq mi)
- Density:	138 /km2 (358 /sq mi)
Municipal unit
- Population:	35,687
- Area:	126.5 km2 (49 sq mi)
- Density:	282 /km2 (731 /sq mi)
Community
- Population:	28,987
Other
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (min-max):	0–15 m ­(0–49 ft)
Postal code:	741 00
Telephone:	28310
Auto:	ΡΕ
Website
www.rethymno.gr

Rethymno (Greek: Ρέθυμνο, [ˈreθimno], also Rethimno, Rethymnon, Réthymnon, and Rhíthymnos) is a city of approximately 40,000 people in Greece, the capital of Rethymno regional unit on the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity (ancient Rhithymna and Arsinoe), but was never a competitive Minoan centre. It was, however, strong enough to mint its own coins and maintain urban growth. One of these coins is today depicted as the crest of the town with two dolphins in a circle.

History[link]

The main (eastern) gate of the fortress.

The Rimondi fountain.

This region as a whole is rich with ancient history, most notably through the Minoan civilisation centred at Kydonia east of Rethymno.^[1] Rethymno itself began a period of growth when the Venetian conquerors of the island decided to put an intermediate commercial station between Heraklion and Chania, acquiring its own bishop and nobility in the process. Today's old town (palia poli) is almost entirely built by the Venetians. It is one of the best preserved old towns in Crete.

The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbour and narrow streets. The Venetian Loggia houses the information office of the Ministry of Culture. 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, is one of the best-preserved castles in Crete. Other monuments include the Neratze mosque (the Municipal Odeon arts centre), the Great Gate (Μεγάλη Πόρτα, Porta Guora), the Piazza Rimondi (Rimondi square) and the Venetian Loggia.

The town was also captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1646 and was ruled by them for almost three centuries. The town (Resmo in Turkish) was the centre of a sanjak during Ottoman rule.

During the Battle of Crete (20–30 May 1941), the Battle of Rethymno was fought between German paratroopers and Australian and Greek forces. 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 and other Mediterranean products. It is also the base of the Philosophical School and the University Library of the University of Crete and the School of Social and Political Sciences having 8.000 students on its university campus per annum at "Galos", where the Academic Institute of Mediterranean Studies is situated.

Municipality[link]

Panorama of the city.

The old Venetian harbour.

View of the old town.

The municipality Rethymno was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:^[2]

• Arkadi
• Lappa
• Nikiforos Fokas
• Rethymno

Population of Rethymno ^[3]

Culture[link]

Rethymno is home to the following museums:

• Archaeological Museum of Rethymno
• Historical and Folklore Museum of Rethymno
• Municipal Gallery "L. Kanakakis"
• The Frantzeskaki Collection
• Museum of Sea Life at Rethymno

Literature[link]

Pandelis Prevelakis wrote Το χρονικό μιας πολιτείας (1937), The Chronicle of my Town, a nostalgic depiction of Rethymno from the period of the Cretan State (1898) to the expulsion of the Cretan Turks (1924).

Notable people of Rethymno[link]

• Marcus Musurus (1470–1517) scholar and philosopher
• Ahmed Resmî Efendi Ottoman statesman, author and ambassador
• Nick the Greek, poker player
• Pandelis Prevelakis, (1909–1986) author of poetry, drama, essays, and studies.
• Georgios Chortatzis, (1545–1610) Greek dramatist in Cretan verse.

International relations[link]

Rethymno is twinned with:

• Pushkin, Russia
• Ayia Napa, Cyprus
• Castenaso, Italy

See also[link]

• History of Crete
• List of settlements in the Rethymno regional unit

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rethymno

• Prefecture of Rethymno - Official website
• Rethymno, Crete web cameras
• Photos from Rethymno
• Rethymno The Official website of the Greek National Tourism Organisation

v t e Administrative division of the Crete Region Area: 8,336km² • Population : 601,131 (2001) • Capital: Heraklion Regional unit of Chania Apokoronas • Chania • Gavdos • Kantanos-Selino • Kissamos • Platanias • Sfakia Regional unit of Heraklion Archanes-Asterousia • Faistos • Gortyna • Heraklion • Hersonissos • Malevizi • Minoa Pediada • Viannos Regional unit of Lasithi Agios Nikolaos • Ierapetra • Oropedio Lasithiou • Siteia Regional unit of Rethymno Agios Vasileios • Amari • Anogeia • Mylopotamos • Rethymno Regional governor: Stavros Arnaoutakis • Website www.pkr.gov.gr

v t e   Prefectural Capitals of Greece Agios Nikolaos Alexandroupoli Amfissa Argostoli Arta Athens Chalcis Chania Chios Corfu Corinth Drama Edessa Eleusis Ermoupoli Florina Grevena Heraklion Igoumenitsa Ioannina Kalamata Karditsa Karpenisi Kastoria Katerini Kavala Kilkis Komotini Kozani Lamia Larissa Lefkada Livadeia Missolonghi Mytilene Nafplion Pallini Patras Piraeus Polygyros Preveza Pyrgos Rethymno Rhodes Serres Sparta Thessaloniki Trikala Tripoli Vathy Veria Volos Xanthi Zakynthos