Cultural Life

Artistic activity on Venetian Crete seems to have been poised between East and West. On the one hand there was the Byzantine tradition, which remained strong in ecclesiastical art and architecture, particularly in rural areas, and on the other there were the artistic trends of the Renaissance, which derived from the West and had a greater impact on the urban centres.

The conjoining of these two elements under the beneficial influence of the Renaissance, combined with the prosperity of the last centuries of Venetian rule, led to the formation of a unique cultural identity. Literature, drama, painting and music flourished, giving rise to works of great aesthetic appeal.