| The Frangocastello Fortress I n order to protect the small bay near by, from the pirates, it was decided, in 1371, to construct this fortress. It was barely used during the Venetian occupation, and on the eve of the Turkish attack, it was actually abandoned. In 1828 the Cretan rebels occupied the fortress and during the siege that followed, its towers were destroyed.
I t is a Venetian fortress of rectangular shape, and on each side there' s a tower. Over the gate, one sees a relief with the Lion of St Marcus and the Venetian crowns. The buildings in the interior, as well as the battlements, were constructed during the ottoman occupation; at the same time many repairs were carried out. Underneath the fortress, there are the ruins of the church of St Marcus.
A ccording to tradition, during the second half of May and with a specific weather, shadows of the armed cretan warriors, who lost their lives there, seem to march towards the fortress. The locals call them Drosoulites. Near the fortress, is the church of St Niketas of 1371, where there are traces of an early christian basilica.
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