Venetian Walls of Heraklion - Crete Island

The Venetian Walls of Heraklion are the most significant monument of Venetian Crete and the best preserved fortification works of Mediterranean Sea. Their construction started in 1462 and lasted more than a century, with the implementation of the most advanced fortification techniques of the era. They were so well-constructed and durable that they stood, almost with no damage, through the 20-year siege of Othman Empire Army (1648 –1669).

The total length of the Walls is approximately 7km. The northern side is 2.5km long and is located along the coast line. A big part of the latter is, practically, not protected by the waves and this condition results to serious damage, such as erosion cavities and loosening of the consistency of the whole structure, due to the impact force of the waves. In order to protect the Venetian Walls and considering that any given solution should be aesthetically "acceptable", the Municipality of Heraklion assigned DENCO SA the design of the respective works. The study was conducted in collaboration with CNWAY and it was successfully completed in 2004.

Project facts:

• Construction Cost: 927,750€
• 900m of armoring of the walls using quarry rocks