Explore! Guora Gate: The Grand Entrance to Rethymno's History! 🏰

The **Guora Gate**, locally known as **Megalí Pórtá** (The Great Door), is the only surviving part of the central entrance to the Venetian fortifications of the city of Rethymno.

The Historic Guora Gate, Rethymno's Great Door

It was built between 1566 and 1568 by the Venetian rector (**"Rettore"**) **Jocopo Guoro**, after whom it took its official name. It served as the city's main gate during the Venetian period and the central control point for those entering or exiting the city walls.

Today, only a section of the gate remains, with an opening of approximately 2.60 meters, shaped by carved stones with slanted edges. At the top, the stones form an impressive semicircular arch, a characteristic example of Venetian defensive architecture that stands as a guardian of the city's history.

The Significance of the Gate Today

Unlike other fortifications that were destroyed, the Guora Gate was preserved because it remained an active point of passage. It essentially constitutes the invisible dividing line between the **Old Venetian Town** and the modern expansion of Rethymno, leading directly onto Ethnikis Antistaseos street, one of today's main commercial roads. A walk beneath the Gate's arch is a small, but essential, journey through time, as it marks the entrance to the labyrinth of the picturesque alleys in the historic centre.