After the Fourth Crusade and the failure of the Byzantium in the Hellenic area, Chania came under Venetian rule. The Venetians strengthened the wall even more giving Chania the form that it has today.
The new stones that formed the wall were built in coursed ashlar work and in many spots followed the form of the natural rock. It consisted of segments that were interrupted by orthogonal or polygonal battlements whereas the whole contour was oval with an irregular shape, shallow foundations and standard thickness throughout the height.
These walls were built between 1336 and 1356 but were not strong enough so about 200 years later in 1536, the famous Italian civil engineer. Michele Sanmichele came to Chania to design the more recent walls. Under his guidance, additions to the old walls were made and the construction was eventually completed in 1568.
In 1645, after a two months siege, the Turks overtook and occupied the town and as earlier rulers had done, added their own elements to the wall. In the years that followed, the walls partly fell on their own owing to their old age but mainly because the inhabitants themselves demolished them to build new structures. As a result, what remains today is only a few but precious ruins of this once magnificent structure that is definitely worth a visit.
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