Agios Konstantinos, Rethymno

Agios Konstantinos is a village and the administrative seat of the community of the same name within the Municipality of Rethymno in the Regional Unit of Rethymno, Crete. It is situated at an altitude of 253 meters. The village is located 16 km from the city of Rethymno, accessible via the old national road towards Chania. The settlement of Agios Georgios is located a short distance away.

History

The village is named after its main church, dedicated to Saint Constantine. It appears in Venetian censuses of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as in the Egyptian census of 1834, where it was recorded with 50 families. In 1881, it was part of the municipality of Roustika with 263 inhabitants, a status it retained in 1900 with a population of 345. Since 1928, it has formed its own community.

The village is built on a high, rocky location. According to local historian Em. Lamprinakis, ruins of a mint exist in its main square. During the Venetian period, Agios Konstantinos was a fief of the Barozzi family, and the village architecture reflects this Venetian influence. It served as a summer retreat for the Venetian nobles of Rethymno.

Administrative Information

Agios Konstantinos was officially recognized as a settlement and designated the seat of a newly established community in 1925. According to the Kallikratis and Kleisthenis I administrative programs, it forms the Community of Agios Konstantinos along with the settlement of Agios Georgios. This community belongs to the municipal unit of Nikiforos Fokas, within the municipality of Rethymno.

Nearby Locations

Northwest of Agios Konstantinos are the ruins of the village of Artos, which was destroyed by the Ottomans. Access is via a dirt road from either Agios Konstantinos or the village of Zouridi. Three churches survive in Artos, the most notable being the Church of Agios Georgios. This small, single-aisled, barrel-vaulted church contains significant frescoes dated to 1401, which follow the Constantinople school of art. The frescoes depict scenes from the life of Christ and the life of Saint George, with a large representation of the Second Coming on the west wall.

Significant People

Several notable individuals are associated with the village:

• Eumenios Lambakis: Abbot of the Prophet Elias monastery in Roustika.
• Giannis Manousakas: Community leader and author of “In the Shadow of Akronafplia” and “The Ruin.”
• Stelios Manousakas: Left-wing activist and author on the anti-dictatorial resistance of 1967-1974 in Italy.
• Giannisavlidakis: Owner of a Cretan music radio station in Athens.
• Franciscus Barocius: A mathematician.
• Vasilios Papadakis (+21/12/1931): A revolutionary in the Cretan Revolutions and a plenipotentiary.
• Georgios Sakkorafos: A fighter in the 1821 revolution and a Cretan representative in 1827.
• Charalambos K. Spandagos: Owner of the Idaion Antron cinema in Rethymno.

Settlement: Key Points

• Location: Situated at an altitude of 253 meters, 16 km from Rethymno in Crete.
• Historical References: Mentioned in Venetian censuses of the 16th and 17th centuries and the Egyptian census of 1834.
• Historical Significance: During the Venetian era, it was a fiefdom of the Barozzi family and a summer residence for Venetian nobility. Ruins of a mint are reportedly located in the village square.
• Current Status: It is the seat of the Community of Agios Konstantinos, which includes the settlement of Agios Georgios, and is part of the Municipality of Rethymno.
• Population Data: The population of Agios Konstantinos over the years is detailed in the following table.

References

• Wikipedia Agios Konstantinos
• Wikipedia Agios Georgios