This is how the Venetian port in Heraklion will be “transformed” – The plans of the Ministry of Defense – See photos

The Ministry of Culture and Sports proceeds with the restoration, promotion and functional integration of Youth, with their accompanying buildings, in the monumental ensemble of the Venetian port of Heraklion and in the daily life of the city. In the context of the Programmatic Agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Technical University of Crete, a research program was drawn up – which was funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture – with the aim of historical and technological documentation of the studies of the maturation of the works, restoration and reuse of the Western and Eastern Youths, in Heraklion.

The Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendonistated: “With the proposed interventions in the monumental complex of Neorion, its role in the urban environment is redefined, the historicity of the space, its monumental character and the relationship of the emblematic complex with the sea are restored. Our goal is to protect and save the Youth, but at the same time to highlight and exploit them with new, compatible cultural uses. The basic principle of the proposed interventions is the preservation of the imprint of time in terms of the authenticity of the monumental shell, having as axes the preservation of the unified character of the complex and each space separately. In this way we manage to preserve the character and authenticity of the complex, to develop a dynamic cultural resource and to highlight the historical character of the Venetian port in combination with the Koule fortress».

The object of the research program, which received the positive opinion of the Central Archaeological Council, is the assessment of the existing situation, the seismic behavior of the individual buildings of the Neoria complex – West and East Neoria, Western Storehouse, Salt Storehouse and Tzane Tank – the treatment of the problems they present, as well as the inclusion of new uses in them. The research team, which developed the program, consists of professors from the Technical University of Crete, researchers from other Greek universities, as well as Ca’ Foscari University in Venice.

Based on the results of the research program on the buildings: The Western warehouse, which is proposed to house a visitor information point, is in a particularly poor condition and it is considered appropriate to preserve only the ground floor. In Western Neoria, the interventions that have been carried out have addressed the basic structural problems of the complex. The Western Neoria will be reused as exhibition spaces with the main theme of shipbuilding art. In the Salt Warehouse, which will house periodic exhibitions and events, the construction of an elevator for the use of the disabled is planned. Both the Warehouse and the Tzane Tank, which will host an exhibition on the public works of the Venetian period, do not face serious structural problems. The Eastern Neoria are preserved in fairly good condition, despite erosion in places due to the marine environment of the monument and atmospheric pollution. The Eastern Youth is going to house outdoor cultural activities. As for the surrounding area of ​​the monuments, it is proposed to unify and utilize it for the benefit of the public, restoring the disintegration of the coherence of the historical ensemble, removing disturbing uses and restoring safe access for pedestrians. The gentle approach to the proposed uses, with the inclusion of simple forms of structures within the domes, allows the preservation and protection of the historical structures. The places at the highest points in the Western Neoria and on the Salt Warehouse, as well as the roof of the Tzane Reservoir are planned as rest areas for visitors. The proposal to highlight the monumental building complex provides for external and internal lighting.

The Youth were built during the Venetian occupation between the 13th and 16th centuries. After supplementing the natural rock formations to form jetties, they organized the port of Khandaka for the safe flow of trade. The port was included in the city’s fortifications and the Sea Fort, the Neoria, the Reservoir and the Salt Store were built. In the three Neorio complexes they built, repaired and maintained the Venetian galleys. The Arsenali Antichi (Ancient Neoria) complex was built first in 1451, where today the services of the Region of Crete are housed. Between 1552 and 1556, another complex of Neoria, the Arsenali Vecchi (Old Neoria), was built west of the port. On the eastern side, the Arsenali Nuovi and Nuovissimi (New and Younger) complexes were erected between 1556 and 1609. West of the Arsenali Nuovi-Nuovissimi, in the space formed between the Neorio and the medieval fortification, the city’s largest Water Tank (Cisterna) was built. The individual buildings of the 15th – 17th century complex, due to their poor state of preservation, must be restored immediately.

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