Crete in Venice: The Presence of the Great Island in Venetian Architecture, Virtual Arts, Music and Literature

During the period of Venetian rule in Crete (1211–1669) many aspects of Venice’s political and cultural life were affected by this Cretan connection. Nowadays, in Venice, it is still possible to see the contacts between the two territories on open display. But although Venetian monuments in Crete are still highly visible and have been widely studied, the importance of Crete (and of modern Greek culture in general) for Venice is not yet well known and appreciated either in Venice or in Italy in general. This paper is intended as a brief guide to “Crete in Venice”. But it is not simply a tourist itinerary; through the bas-reliefs at the base of St Mark’s clock-tower, where Crete is shown allegorically next to Cyprus, through the famous icon in the church of Santa Maria della Salute, through the Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi, and also through the testimony of music, art and architecture, the paper brings into focus the close historical links with Crete that can be witnessed in Venice to this day.