Souda is the name of the small island that stands like a guard in the entrance of the gulf of Souda, on the north coast of the Chania regional unit in Crete.

The construction of the fortress started in 1573 by the Venetians, in an effort to reinforce the defense of the port. The architect and supervisor of the constructions was Latino Orsini. The works proceeded very fast and within a year, the first canons were placed. In the years that followed, until the Turkish invasion in 1645, conservation and other complementary works for the fortification's improvement were taking place.

The Fortezza was an example of excellent fortification work, taking advantage of the islet's morphology. Its strategic construction provided smart solutions to possible threats from the mainland and the sea. In the interior, except from the areas of military use, there were also areas of public interest, numerous churches, a hospital, a prison, and underground water tanks.

After the occupation of the city of Chania from the Turkish army in 1646, the fortress was brutally attacked from the ground and the sea. However, the few armed defenders of fortress were able to save it. After the fall of Heraklion in 1669, the islet remained under Venetian possession until September 27, 1715, when it was finally surrendered to the Turkish army after a long siege and heroic resistance that lasted for 72 days. The Turks occupied the islet until 1898 when the Turkish forces departed from Crete.
The islet of Souda is connected with the Cretan history and the battles of the Cretan people for freedom, as it played a crucial role during battles and became a refuge for the revolutionaries throughout the Turkish occupation, when the islet was in Venetian hands. On this islet, the Greek flag was raised for the very first time on February 1, 1913 (before the official unification of Crete with Greece).

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