Description of the attraction
St. George's Gate is located on the southeastern side of Eleftheria Square (the main square of the city), not far from the Archaeological Museum. For many decades, until recently, they were hidden under the Eleftheria square. The gate has only recently been restored and reopened.
The St. George's Gate was built in 1565 and is part of the Venetian Wall, built to protect the city from outside intrusion, and was used as a passage between the city and the port. Stone steps lead down to a gallery with a domed roof and further to the lower exit beyond the wall of ancient Heraklion. This is all that remains today from the important medieval entrance to the city.
The gate was also known as the "Lazaretto Gate" as it led to the House of Lazarus, a hospital for infectious patients on the east coast outside the walls of Heraklion. The city was struck by the plague several times, with the most severe outbreak in 1591-1593.
St. George's Gate is a monumental building with an original facade. On the city wall near the gate is a memorial plaque from 1565, decorated with the coats of arms and initials of the leading Venetian families of the time. High above the gate was a relief medallion depicting St. George on horseback. The majestic façade was destroyed in 1917, and the relief depicting St. George is preserved today in the Historical Museum of Crete.
Today, the St. George's Gate Gallery is often used for art exhibitions and other cultural events.
