- Culture Minister, Regional Governor, Mayor, and ODAP President sign a 10-year deal to manage Heraklion’s Venetian Walls and shipyards.
- Press photos show smiles, pens, and one wall quietly wondering what century it is.
- The fortifications have officially outlived seven empires, four earthquakes, and at least twenty press releases.
After half a millennium of patiently holding up the skyline, Heraklion’s Venetian Walls are finally getting some attention — or at least, another document.
On Thursday, October 23, at the Ministry of Culture in Athens, the great Ceremony of Pens took place: Minister Lina Mendoni, Governor Stavros Arnaoutakis, Mayor Alexis Kalokairinos, and ODAP President Nikoleta Divari-Valakou gathered to sign what they called a “Cultural Development Agreement.”
Translation: We promise to love, cherish, and occasionally restore the walls until 2045 — or until the next committee meeting, whichever comes first.
The event followed a “positive opinion” from the Central Archaeological Council last May — which in Greek bureaucracy is equivalent to divine intervention.
Quotes From the Kingdom of Diplomacy
Minister Mendoni called it “a very important day.” Of course it is — the walls haven’t had this much excitement since the Ottomans.
Governor Arnaoutakis said, “It proves once again that close cooperation brings results.”
Indeed. It took only five centuries, three levels of government, and a conference room with air conditioning.
Mayor Kalokairinos added, “It’s a very significant moment for Heraklion.”
He’s right — the last “significant moment” for these fortifications was when someone discovered you could jog on them without being fined.
What the Agreement Actually Means
The Venetian Walls and the Neoria shipyards will now be under the municipality’s care for 10 years, a lease long enough for another generation of pigeons to move in rent-free.
Plans include protection, restoration, and “promotion,” which usually means new lighting, a few QR codes, and maybe a concert starring someone with a lute. The city also promises to “enhance accessibility,” though most residents would settle for a working elevator to the bastion.
Meanwhile, the walls remain serene — massive, sun-baked, and unimpressed. They’ve seen empires rise and fall, cannons, earthquakes, selfies, and now PowerPoint presentations about their “cultural value.”
Press-Release Perfection
The photos from the signing are glorious: four officials, three pens, two folders, and one monument that couldn’t fit in the room. Everyone looks pleased — the kind of smiles you get when you realize the EU is paying for coffee.
Somewhere behind them, you can almost hear the walls sigh:
“Sign all you want, we’re still here.”
It’s easy to joke, but this is good news. Heraklion’s fortifications deserve the care, the funding, and maybe even a little drama. They’ve protected the city for centuries; now it’s the city’s turn to protect them — with bureaucracy, the sharpest weapon of all.
So raise a glass (or a trowel) to the Venetian Walls of Heraklion — finally free to dream of restoration, after 500 years of standing guard and 50 years of waiting for signatures.
