- Officials inspected key Lassithi cultural monuments on May 29, 2025
- The Deputy Regional Governor led the site visits with a team of experts
- Local community leaders joined, eyes on preserving village icons
- The group focused on two major stone bridges: Kryopotamos and Stomio
- Maintenance and conservation are promised to keep the sites standing
- The Region of Crete treats cultural heritage as an absolute priority—at least when cameras are rolling
On May 29, 2025, a procession of government suits descended on Lassithi’s historic sites—not for selfies, but to check which landmark needed the most TLC. Giannis Androulakis, Deputy Regional Governor, headed the charge, followed by Eleni Vlassi (his cultural advisor), Maria Geronti (who knows about technical stuff), Giorgos Pagkalos (environment, probably allergic to nonsense), and Yiannis Pratsinakis (the guy with the blueprints). Ministry culture staff joined in to show they care, plus a couple of stone-faced engineers: Dimitris Stefanis from the Cretan Service for Modern Monuments and Giorgos Michailidis, who commutes between Epirus, Ionian Islands, and West Macedonia—all for bridges like these.
Of course, a crowd of local community presidents showed up: Manolis Damaskinakis representing Mournies, Michalis Spyridakis of Gdochia, and Vasilis Zacharopoulos from Nea Anatoli, all eager to see if their monuments made the “fix-it list.”
Inspecting Stones and Taking Names
First on the inspection highlight reel: the triple-arched bridge in Kryopotamos near Myrtos. Androulakis explained, “After coordinated efforts, in collaboration with the Directorate of Modern Monuments and Technical Projects of the Ministry of Culture, we began recording the declared three-arched bridge at Kryopotamos, near the settlement of Myrtos in Ierapetra.”
The tour didn’t stop there. The group stopped at the stone bridge at Stomio, standing bravely next to the bust of Pavlos Kouper—great for Instagram, but this time, only serious faces were allowed. Around the nearby wetland, the crew counted birdcalls and cracks in old stone. Androulakis summed up the project’s ambition: “Once the specialized experts finish their work, we’ll move forward with every action needed so these monuments last over time. Protecting our cultural heritage is a top priority for the Region of Crete.”
What’s at Stake (Besides Local Bragging Rights)
The Lassithi cultural monuments draw the crowds. If the ancient stones crumble, so might the local tourist scene. The gathered officials, armed with hardhats and bureaucratic optimism, promised these structures would stand tall for generations—assuming, of course, the paperwork gets signed, and nobody gets cold feet halfway through.
The Lassithi cultural monuments have survived earthquakes, wars, and at least one grumpy goat. With any luck, they’ll also survive this round of government inspections. For now, residents and tourists, rest easy—the bridges are still standing, and everyone’s watching.
