From the Field to Erotokritos: SAO at the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS Cultural Center

Erotokritos

The Athletes of SAO at the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS Cultural Center

With great pleasure, on October 17, 2026, we welcomed 25 male and female athletes from the volleyball department of the Sitia Athletic Club (SAO), along with their coaches.

The young visitors had the opportunity to learn about Vitsentzos Kornaros and his work “EROTOKRITOS,” and also to be informed about the work of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS Cultural Center by Angela Christaki, a member of the Shelter’s Management Committee and director of Palaikastro High School.

The visit concluded with an entertaining knowledge game, in which the female athletes, male athletes, and coaches were divided into three teams and proved that they had learned a great deal about Vitsentzos Kornaros and his significant work.

The members of the team “Kateroutsas,” which won first place, received a copy of the book “Erotokritos in Comics” by D. Papamarkos, while all participants received a notebook from the Shelter as a souvenir of their visit.

The female athletes, male athletes, and their coaches departed with smiles, positive impressions, and a promise to participate in our activities again. For us, every visit is a unique opportunity to share our love for culture and the Cretan literary tradition. And our joy is even greater when young people are with us and get to know our cultural heritage in a creative and pleasant way.

We sincerely thank the Sitia Athletic Club, its female athletes, male athletes, and coaches for their visit. We look forward to welcoming them again to the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS Cultural Center.

Highlights

Previous
Next

3rd DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE OF SITEIA, October 16, 17 & 18, 2026

conference

Is Siteia becoming impoverished?

No new productive activities are being created.

There are no jobs for young people.

What should and can be done? What can and should change?

The development conference organized by the Municipality of Siteia constitutes a significant and commendable initiative, aiming to provide answers to these questions.

Representatives of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS Cultural Center will also attend the conference, as will its scholar, Giannis Matthaioudakis, who is preparing a doctoral dissertation at the University of Crete, in Rethymno, on the topic of “The Economic Situation of Siteia and its Prospects.”

A special visit to Stegi VITSENTZOS KORNAROS

VITSENTZOS KORNAROS SHELTER

We had the distinct pleasure of welcoming to the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS Shelter a distinguished group of consuls, journalists, and cultural figures from Italy, at the initiative of Georgia Lambraki, Consul of Greece in the Emilia-Romagna region, based in Bologna.

During the visit, Angela Christaki, a member of the Shelter’s Management Committee, presented in Italian the life and work of Vitsentzos Kornaros, with special reference to the significant position of EROTOKRITOS in Cretan and European literature.

We were delighted to welcome:

  • Georgia Lambraki – Consul of Greece in Emilia-Romagna, based in Bologna.
  • Lorena Veronica Zuniga Aguilera – Consul of Chile
  • Marino Forcellini – Consul of the Republic of San Marino and journalist
  • Giorgio Rinaldi – Consul of Uruguay and journalist
  • Ginetto Campanini – Screenwriter for Italian public television (RAI)
  • Francesca Nunberg – Journalist for Il Messaggero newspaper
  • Sandro Marini – Journalist for RAI and the show Voyager
  • Giulio Biasion – Italian journalist

A special moment of the meeting was the presence of Giulio Biasion, son of the important Italian painter, engraver, and writer Renzo Biasion (1914–1996), who offered us his father’s book titled Sagapò and spoke to us about its creation and history.

The book, inspired by the author’s personal experiences in Crete during the Italian occupation in World War II, is of particular interest to our region, as it connects with places and people of Eastern Crete.

Giulio Biasion also referred to the book’s unique journey to cinema, the initial attempts at its film adaptation with Anna Magnani and Roberto Rossellini, as well as the circumstances that led, several years later, to the creation of the film Mediterraneo, which was honored in 1992 with the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

We sincerely thank everyone for their presence and the interest they showed in the Shelter and its work.

Special thanks are due to Georgia Lambraki, Consul of Greece in Bologna, for her initiative and the organization of this special visit, as well as for her continuous contribution to fostering communication and cultural cooperation between Siteia and Italy.

Highlights

Previous
Next

Free Creative Writing Classes

Free Creative Writing Classes

The Vitsentzos Kornaros Shelter invites all literature and writing enthusiasts to participate in a series of FREE Creative Writing classes, led by acclaimed authors and individuals with significant experience in teaching writing.

Creative writing classes certainly do not “create” writers from scratch. However, they can offer valuable resources to those who feel the need to express their experiences, feelings, thoughts, and emotions about life and the world around us through literature.

Through the classes, participants will become more familiar with the techniques of literary writing, as well as the rules, forms, and disciplines that help a text gain power, precision, and communicate more effectively with the reader.

In any case, the least these classes achieve is the creation of a proficient reader; someone, that is, who is able to enjoy literature even more fully and deeply, not only as content but also as ART.

Applications will be submitted via a Google form, which will be posted soon.

Stay tuned!

Two proposals for Kazarma: Safe access and new lighting

Sitia Kazarma

Kazarma as it deserves: Proposals for the monument’s safety and enhancement

The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS Cultural Center intends to approach the Ephorate of Antiquities next week to submit for approval two significant intervention proposals for the Kazarma Fortress, which it plans to fund.

The first proposal concerns the study and execution of works that will make access to the fortress’s courtyard easier and safer. The interventions include, among other things, the redesign of the entrance steps, the addition of protective railings, and other necessary improvements. These works do not alter the character or existing form of the monument but enhance its safety and functionality. The relevant study has been prepared by engineer Mr. Perakis.

The second proposal concerns the preparation of a specialized lighting study by an expert professional, as well as its implementation. The goal is for Kazarma to be highlighted during nighttime hours and to become a true jewel for the city.

Just as the Acropolis of Athens acquires an even more impressive image with appropriate evening lighting, so too can the Kazarma Fortress be showcased in a manner befitting its history, architecture, and significance.

The current lighting of the fortress is inadequate and aesthetically problematic. On the one hand, it creates the impression of a fire, and on the other hand, it illuminates only a fragmented part of the monument, presenting it one-dimensionally and failing to highlight its overall form and unique characteristics.

We hope and believe that the competent service will positively consider our proposals and approve their implementation.

The support of the Municipality is assured. In conjunction with the backing of the local community, we believe it can significantly contribute to the positive evaluation and approval of the two proposals by the Archaeological Service.

The protection, safe access, and enhancement of the Kazarma Fortress constitute a common goal and obligation towards the history and cultural heritage of our city.