The Byzantines called castles, the

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INTRODUCTION Towering mountains with snow-capped peaks of the 9 months of the year, fertile plains dshs ems and nestled among tropical landscaping on the Libyan coast where wintering swallows. Crete is a fascinating world where conquerors and conquered wove stories separate, but parallel, in a constant dialogue between them, leaving behind a landscape rich history and charming, full of contradictions, like the place itself. The castles of stone shells arrogant power, changed hands at shooting time and the times, are currently visible signs of human quest for power. The journey in time and space of Cretan fortifications follow the developments and adventures of the political dshs ems history of the island.
Crete in ancient times not threatened by external enemies. The first enemy that knew the island was the Romans. So, until then, the fortification of cities was not an external, but internal enemies. After the end of the Roman period (67 BC-330 AD), things changed radically. Crete joined the Eastern Roman Empire, dshs ems which became the Byzantine Empire and was subject, namely the Province. Meanwhile, around the Mediterranean dshs ems and other developed civilizations. Thus, Crete, due to physical and geopolitical dshs ems position, gained particular importance and became a "bone of contention" for the peoples of the Mediterranean, which began to covet for their own reasons everyone.
For the first Byzantine period (330-824) we learn very little from the source, while there are a number of monuments which have barely been studied. The risks do not even look clean. For this reason, and because of other internal and external problems of the Empire, the island was on the fringes of the Byzantine interest. The raids began to thicken and seaside monasteries were fortified to protect. In these conditions did not take long to break the first storm on the island. First Saracen pirates found Crete almost defenseless dshs ems and easily captured. They settled for 140 years, as the 961mCh, fortifying the most important city, namely Heraklio. The period of Arab rule, which followed, is completely dark, and leave little dshs ems residue.
After continuous failed attempts, Nikiforos Fokas managed to liberate dshs ems the island from pirates (961). The recovery of the island from the Byzantines a new start growth. Crete organized political, religious and military. The two major urban centers, the Candia and Chania and Rethymno likely, rebuilt and fortified. A system developed by fortifications on the coast and inland, and manage to keep intruders dshs ems away for a few centuries.
In 1206, Crete passed into the hands of the Genoese, who immediately gave particular importance to the fortification of the island. Within three years, fortified castles and 12 fortresses, but the Venetians managed to capture the island in 1209. Then introduced a new era, dominated by revolutions and the juxtaposition of the Orthodox population to Catholic dshs ems conquerors. The Venetian dshs ems Crete lasted 4.5 centuries and relied primarily on colossal fortifications built by great engineers, the most important of the great castle of Candia (Heraklion). A first fortification system is mainly associated with the need for protection from hostile local element. In the last centuries of Venetian rule, when Byzantium no longer exists and is now a common enemy, the Turks, the conquerors mitigate their attitude to the Cretans. dshs ems At the same time the cities of Crete reorganized with new fortifications by famous architects, while a new defensive system designed to protect the coast from the expected external enemy and continues until the time of the Turkish attack.
When the Turks were able to understand the Candia in 1669, after 22 years of siege, strengthen its presence by improving the Venetian walls and constructing many small forts throughout the Cretan territory, the coolies. The Turks were maintaining dshs ems their fortifications until the end of their presence on the island. Even today, visitors can get an idea of how they were fortified the major cities of Crete, as the walls are kept in excellent condition. The impressive castles in Chania, Rethymnon and Heraklion and fortresses on the islands of Souda, the Gramvousas and Spinalonga, is only a few samples.
The Byzantines called castles, the