Editing Chania (section)

===Venetian era===
{{Further|Kingdom of Candia}}
[[File:Chania Ven.jpg|thumb|250px|The old harbour during the Venetian era.]]
[[File:Venetian shipyards, Chania.jpg|250px|thumb|Venetian shipyards.]]
After the fall of [[Constantinople]] during the 1204 [[Fourth Crusade]], Crete was distributed to [[Boniface of Montferrat|Bonifacio, Marquess of Montferrat]]. He in turn chose to sell it to the [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]] for 100 silver marks.{{cn|date=August 2024}} In 1252, the Venetians managed to subdue the Cretans but in 1263, their rivals of Genoa, with local support, seized the city under the leadership of [[Enrico Pescatore]], count of Malta, and held it until 1285, when the Venetians returned.{{cn|date=May 2024}} Under the [[Venetian language|Venetian]] name '''La Canea''', the city was chosen to be the seat of the Rector (Administrator General) of the region and flourished as a significant commercial centre of a fertile agricultural region.{{cn|date=May 2024}}

The Venetian rule was initially strict and oppressive but slowly the relations between the two parts improved. Contact with [[Venice]] led to close intertwining of [[Cretan]] and Venetian cultures, without, however, the Cretans losing their [[Greek Orthodox]] nature. [[Fortifications of Chania|Its fortifications]] were strengthened, giving Chania the form that it still has today. On the other hand, after the fall of [[Constantinople]] in 1453, many priests, monks and artists took refuge in Crete and reinforced the [[Byzantine]] religion and culture on the island. The city of Canea during the period that followed was a blend of Byzantine, Venetian, and Classical Greek cultural elements. Many of the important buildings of the town were built during this era and the intellectual activities (written word, music, education) were also promoted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chania - A City Of Many Tales |url=https://www.chaniatourism.gr/history/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=Chania - A City Of Many Tales |language=en-US}}</ref>