Kastro remained the capital and administrative centre, but was renamed Candia, becoming a hive of economic and intellectual activity. The town's importance is revealed by the fact that its name was thenceforth used to refer to the entire administrative region of Crete, which was known as the Kingdom of Candia (Regno di Candia).
Links with mercantile shipping routes and the settlement of Venetian colonists breathed new life into the town. These favourable circumstances led to an increase in the urban population and new expansion beyond the old enceinte. In combination with the extensive use of gunpowder and artillery, this state of affairs forced the Venetians to design and construct the new fortifications around the town. Port construction works and the erection of numerous impressive public and private buildings radically altered the townscape.
