citadel

The Secret Cistern: Mycenae’s Underground Water Supply

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The Secret Cistern: Mycenae's Underground Water Supply

The secret cistern is one of the quiet marvels tucked into the north-east corner of the citadel of Mycenae. Here a vaulted passage descends by stone steps through and beneath the great wall to a deep rock-cut cistern, hidden away from the world outside. A concealed conduit once carried water to it from a spring … Read more

The Fortezza: Crete’s Venetian Citadel Above Rethymno

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The Fortezza: Crete's Venetian Citadel Above Rethymno

The Fortezza is the Venetian citadel that crowns the low hill of Palaiokastro above the old town of Rethymno, on the north coast of Crete. Its low, star-shaped ramparts and angled bastions were built to absorb cannon fire, and inside stand a domed former mosque, a gunpowder store, cisterns and the rector’s residence. The walls … Read more