Venizelos Graves

Venizelos Graves

Venizelos Graves, the graves of Eleftherios and his son Sofoklis Venizelos, are at an excellent historic location on the Akrotiri peninsula just 5 km east from the city of Chania. Eleftherios Venizelos was a very charismatic Greek politician and seven times Prime Minister of Greece. The spot for the tombs was suggested by Eleftherios Venizelos himself, as it is located a few miles from his home in Chalepa.
Just a few meters away from the graves are the historic Venetian church of Prophet Elias. Also, the statue of the Cretan hero Spiros Kagialedakis or Kagiales. During the Cretan revolution of 1897, Venizelos and a group of rebels had raised there a Greek flag. The Ottoman forces had requested help from the Great Powers (Russia, Italy, Britain), who did not want the autonomy of Crete. Their fleet bombarded the positions, where the Greek flag waived. The bullets hit the flagpole and threw down the flag, which was raised up again immediately by Kagiales, making his body a flagpole.

Highlights

• Enjoy the superb panoramic views of the bay of Chania and the White Mountains.
• Take a look at the unfortunately damaged stone statue of Liberty that symbolizes the struggles of the Cretans for the idea of freedom.
• Explore the beautiful park created with gardens, paved paths, stairs and benches under the shade of pine trees.
• Drink a coffee or sample delicious sweets in one of the two nearby famous cafés (Nymphes and Koukouvaya).
• Visit the nearby Park for the Preservation of Flora and Fauna of the Technical University of Crete extending over 30 hectares.