| The Loggia |
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The Loggia is an essential public building in every Venetian city. For Candia, (Crete) the Loggia is considered to be one of the most elegant architectural monuments of the Venetian period, a representative sample of the paladin style. During the Venetian period, Loggia was the official meeting place of sovereigns and nobility where they discussed economic , commercial, and political issues. It was also used as a place where people passed their time, something like a combination of a Chamber and a Club. Today's Loggia is the fourth , the others, that were built before that, were abandoned due to their position, or were destroyed by the time. The last Loggia was built at about 1628 by the "General Provisioner" Frangisko Morozini, known also by the fountain in the centre of the town. It is situated next to (Armeria) and it is a large rectangular building with two floors, with Doric type columns on the ground floor and Ionic ones on the first floor. At the corners of the building there were square columns. The space between the columns, on the ground floor, had a low parapet, while in the middle it was open and served as the main entrance which was from the 25th August street, known then by the name "Ruga Maistra". At the upper part of the ground floor there was a frieze that consisted of triglyphs and metopes that depicted, in relief, various representations as the lion of St. Mark, trophies and suits of arms . The frieze of the upper floor, which was never made, supported a special construction with statues. |
