Sabbionara Gate: the "Gate of sand"

Sabbionara Bastion, together with St. Andrew Bastion (located just opposite), were the "Achilles heel" of the defensive walls. Their weaknesses helped the Turks occupy Khándax (Candia) after 21 years of siege. Initially, the Venetians had named it small Martinengo, after the Commander Girolamo Martinengo, but gradually the name Sabbionara prevailed because the Gate’s foundation laid on the sandy beach (“sabbia” is Italian for “sand”). The Sabbionara Bastion was linked to one of the three seafront Gates - the second one is located in St. Andrew Bastion and the third one in Dermatas bay. The Sabbionara Gate was completed in 1603 and was, like all the seafront Gates of the defensive walls, smaller in size, and had a more austere architecture and simpler morphological features than the main Gates. Its exit (sortita) was created at the southeast end of the Cortina Dei Consiglieri, under the northwest end of the Bastion, and was 2.1 metres wide. A vaulted passageway with a strong uphill gradient led to the level of the Cortina and the doorframe of the entrance. The Turks rebuilt Sabbionara Bastion and its Gate remained for centuries at the service of the city. Then, most of it was covered by the embankments for the construction of the commercial port and by buildings. Its inner entrance was recently revealed, and once again, we are able to admire its elegant pedimented facade, which was initially built according to the design of St. George Gate. Its austere exit to the sea has also been preserved intact. As far as the Sabbionara Bastion is concerned, it has also acquired a practical use in recent years: on its flat part, a 1930 building is located, namely the former "Heraklion School of Commerce", which is currently housing the 6th High school of Heraklion.