Venerato is a village located in the Heraklion regional unit on the island of Crete, Greece. It is situated 19.8 kilometers from the center of Heraklion city. The village’s primary economic activity is agriculture. Venerato also has various amenities, including a Citizens’ Service Center (KEP), municipal services, a kindergarten, a primary school, a high school, and a regional medical center.
Historical Background
The village’s name, Venerato, is clearly of Venetian origin. It is believed to have been a summer retreat for Venetian nobles during their rule of Crete. The most likely explanation for the name is that it comes from the Italian word “venerato,” which means “respected” or “venerable.” It is thought that this name was initially given to the nearby Paliani Monastery and was later adopted by the neighboring village.
During the Venetian era, Venerato was one of the larger settlements in the province. Historical records from 1583 indicate that it had a population of 593. In 1833, an English traveler described Venerato as the only village in Crete at that time with a purely Venetian name. He also noted that the village was home to 12 Christian families and one Muslim family. By the 1881 census, the population was entirely Christian.
Venerato is the birthplace of several notable figures, including Patriarch Nectarios of Jerusalem (1602-1676), General Antonios Xenakis or Tsagkarantonis (a military leader during the Greek War of Independence), Neophytos Oikonomou (General Secretary of the Chancellery during the 1821 revolution), Metropolitan Gerasimos Letitzis of Crete, and military leader Charalambos Vlachakis, Chieftain of Malevizi.
Administrative Information
Venerato was officially recognized as a settlement in 1925 and became the seat of its own community. In 1997, it was designated as the seat of the then-municipality of Tetrachorio until 2010. Following the Kallikratis plan and its subsequent amendment, Venerato, along with Pyrgos, Sinapi, and the Paliani Monastery, now form the community of Venerato, which falls under the municipal unit of Paliani within the Municipality of Heraklion. According to the 2011 census, the population of Venerato is 836.
Village Key Points
- Historical References: Venetian era records, mentioned in Kastrofylakas (1583), 1833 travelogue
- Location: Heraklion regional unit, Crete, 19.8 kilometers from Heraklion city center
- Historical Significance: Venetian summer retreat, birthplace of notable figures
- Population data over the years: 593 (1583), 836 (2011)
- Current Status: Thriving agricultural community with access to modern amenities
