The Fortezza Fortress was built in 1573 in order to protect the city from pirate raids.
In the castle today operates an open-air theater that reminds us of the spiritual impetus given to Rethymnon at that time by the Vivi Academy (1562), the first intellectual association in Rethymnon and Greece.
In the footsteps of that spiritual tradition, the Renaissance Festival is held every summer in Rethymnon, confirming its reputation as a city of language and arts.
