- €1.4M project for Mocenigo Bastion in Chania.
- Funded through the EU’s “Crete 2021–2027” program.
- Masonry reinforcement and erosion control planned.
- Works carried out by the Directorate of Byzantine & Post-Byzantine Monuments.
- Governor Arnaoutakis: “Investment in identity and culture.”
A Fortress That Forgets It Is Not a Pier
On Chania’s seafront, the Mocenigo Bastion stands where the Venetians once tried to keep enemies out. Today, its greatest enemy is not an invading fleet but the sea itself. Waves crash against its walls daily, eating away at centuries-old stonework. Slowly but surely, the bastion has been surrendering to erosion, its blocks loosening, its mortar disintegrating.
To prevent the whole structure from collapsing into the water, officials are finally investing in a rescue plan. €1.4 million has been allocated through the EU’s “Crete 2021–2027” program to reinforce, restore, and safeguard the bastion. The work will be carried out by the Directorate of Byzantine & Post-Byzantine Monuments, with archaeological oversight by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania.
A Patch Job with Lofty Rhetoric
In practice, this means stabilizing the masonry, repairing damaged sections, and trying to hold back the relentless sea. In press releases, however, it means “protecting a unique example of Venetian fortification” and “securing accessibility for future generations.” Both are true, though the tone glosses over the reality: the bastion is crumbling, and this is an expensive patch job before it turns into an underwater attraction.
Governor Stavros Arnaoutakis framed the restoration as “an investment in culture, the cornerstone of identity and development.” Which is a grand way of saying: thank you, Brussels, for the cash, and let us make sure this thing does not fall before the next tourist season.
The Mocenigo Bastion may not be Crete’s most famous landmark, but as part of Chania’s Venetian walls, it is a reminder of the city’s layered past. With the sea clawing at it day by day, €1.4 million feels less like luxury and more like common sense — or survival.
