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Rethymnon
through time

Rethymnon has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. These dates and events provide a brief overview of the history of Rethymnon, but the city has a long and interesting history that can be explored in greater detail.

Historical Timeline

6000 BC - 2600 BC
Neolithic Years

2600 BC - 1100 BC
Minoan Period

500 BC - 330 BC Classical and 330 BC - 67 BC Hellenistic times

1204

1211
Venetian Rule

1646 - 1897
Ottoman Occupation

1896 - 1913
Cretan State

1913
Unified with Greece

WW II
the Battle of Rethymno

The long history of Rethymno is traced back to the Neolithic years, where a plethora of archaeological findings, including coins, signs, and writings of ancient historians, witness the existence of human life during the Neolithic period is proved by archaeological discoveries in the Ideon Andron cave, on Mount Psiloritis, the Gerani cave west of Rethymnon and the Elenon cave in the Amari district.

The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age culture which was centered on the island of Crete. Known for its monumental architecture and its energetic art, it is often regarded as the first civilization in Europe.

The Minoan civilization developed from the local Neolithic culture around c. 3100 BC, with complex urban settlements beginning around 2000 BC. After c. 1450 BC, they came under the cultural and political domination of the mainland Mycenaean Greeks, forming a hybrid culture which lasted until around 1100 BC.

The Minoans constructed enormous buildings, which their initial excavators labeled Minoan palaces. Subsequent research has shown that they served a variety of religious and economic purposes rather than being royal residences, though their exact role in Minoan society is a matter of continuing debate. The palaces consisted of a large rectangular court surrounded by multistory wings with labyrinthine floor plans.

The more significant archaeological findings are dating back to the Minoan period and can be explained by the fact that human existence and activity became more common both in caves and in a variety of other dwelling places. The remains of which cover the entire area of the Prefecture and are evidence of every stage of the Minoan period.

The ancient city of "Rithymna" flourished during that period considering the discovered gold and silver coins. However, the city''s glory gradually wore off, until it became a common village during the Roman Period. 

After the fall of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade, the island’s fate was initially connected with the crusader Boniface of Montferrat. It is clear, however, that in exchange for Thessalonica, Boniface was quick to sell Crete to Venice, which succeeded in gaining control over the island after a lengthy struggle with the Genoese pirate Enrico Pescatore (1206-1210/1211). 

The Venetians soon realized the geographical importance of Rethymno, since its port was a mercantile marine transit area, where large quantities of merchandise circulated.

The flourishing period of Rethymno begun highlighting the history of the city, a unique blend of Cretan and Venetian culture. The Venetians entirely rebuilt the city. This led to the Cretan Renaissance, a gold period of arts and letters that is apparent only in Crete and the Ionian islands. Rethymno flourishes rapidly with the arrival of new scientists and intellectuals. Many literary societies and a public library were established in Rethymno. 
In 1540, due to the city''s expansion beyond the settlement of Castell Vecchio and to the Turkish threat that approached, the Venetian authorities decided to re-fortify the city. The weaknesses of the new fortifications became evident in 1571, when the pirates of Ouloutz-Ali entered the city with little effort and destroyed it, burning it completely. Two years later, in 1573, the "Fortezza" fortress was built on the hill of "Paleokastro", an improved fortification that would better protect the city from invasions and sieges.

Rethymno was occupied by the Turkish Empire, following the complete occupation of the island of Crete a few years later. The Turkish occupation ends in 1897, when the island falls into a short Egyptian occupation (1830-1840). During the Turkish occupation, numerous revolutions and uprisings shattered the island. Some of the greatest and most important of those uprisings was the 1866 revolution and the "arcadi" massacre. They ruled it for almost three centuries. The town was called Resmo in those days. 

The Great Powers, who have always been interested in Crete due to its strategic importance and had long concentrated their fleets around the island, decided with the Treaty of Berlin in 1896 to proceed with a definitive solution to the Cretan issue, with the international occupation of island and its declaration as an autonomous State,

In 1908, Crete profited from the international political developments and demanded its unification with Greece. The demand was satisfied in 1913, when Crete was finally unified with Greece by the treaty of London after the end of the Balkan wars. In 1924, the Turkish Cretans departed and settled in Asia Minor in the framework of the Lausanne Treaty, which declared the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Greek refugees from Asia Minor took their place. 

The Battle of Rethymno  was part of the famous Battle of Crete, fought during World War II Crete between 20 and 29 May 1941. The attack on Rethymno was one of four airborne assaults on Crete. The city played a significant role, with Allied forces defending the island against the German invasion. Crete fell to the Germans, but they suffered more casualties taking it than in the entire campaign in the Balkans until then. Almost 200 J52s were put out of action. Due to their heavy losses on Crete, the Germans attempted no further large-scale airborne operations. During World War II, Rethymnon was occupied by German forces.

Walk around Rethymno Old Town.
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