SITIA
Sitia is a picturesque, quiet coastal town on the eastern edge of Crete with a population of approximately 9.000 inhabitants. It is built in the shape of an amphitheater on the slopes of the Boda hill and lies just north of the Didimou bay. It is a town that slowly begins to develop as a tourist resort without loosing any of its natural charm. The name Sitia is derived from the ancient city of Ithias, birthplace of one of the seven wise-men of the antiquity, Mison. The center of Sitia today is built on the ruins of Sitia in the Byzantine and Venetian period. During the Venetian occupation the town of Sitia was destroyed three times; in 1508 by a terrible earthquake, in 1538 by the pirate Barbarosa and in 1651 by the Venetians themselves to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Turks. For two centuries Sitia ceased to exist as a town. The present town was built in 1870 and today it is one of the most charming, friendly villages of Crete. Sitia is also the birth place of the great poet Vintsenzos Kornaros, who wrote a masterpiece of medieval poetry, "Erotokritos". The poem narrates the story of the princess Aretousa, daughter of the king of Athens Hercules, and Erotokritos, son of Pezostratos, member of the king's court. Today, many Cretan folk singers still use some of these strophes in their songs.
Sitia possesses an excellent library and an important Folklore Museum with many exhibits such as hand-woven materials, embroideries, local costumes and furniture. There is also an Archaeological Museum where significant archaeological finds of the area are exhibited. The most imposing monument of the past that dominates Sitia is the Venetian fortress Kazarma (from "Casa di Arma"). Kazarma today is a fabulous place for cultural events (theater, concerts etc.) and is the center of the town's cultural life in the summer when the "Kornaria" festival is organized, a series of theatrical, musical and literary events. Furthermore is Sitia is a good starting point for several excursions throughout Eastern Crete such as Toplou Monastery, Palaikastro, the palm beach in Vai, the Valley of the dead in Zakros, Makri Gialos and Itanos .
