⭐ Travel Guide for Island Crete ⛵, Greece❗

Jesus Gate (Kenourgia Porta)

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The Gate of Jesus, also known as the New Gate, Kenourgia Porta or Porta Nuova, stands on the southern side of the Venetian Walls of Heraklion, near the southern end of present-day Evans Street. It was one of the principal urban gates of Candia and connected the city with the southern provinces of Crete.

The gate was named after a small church dedicated to Christ that once stood outside the fortifications. The name New Gate was already used during the final years of Venetian rule because the Gate of Jesus was the newest of the city’s great entrances.

The monument was completed in 1587 during the term of General Proveditor Giovanni Mocenigo. Its monumental Renaissance façade is attributed to the distinguished Veronese military architect Michele Sanmicheli and is regarded as one of the finest architectural works of Venetian Candia.

The inner façade facing the city is clad in carefully cut stone and arranged along strong vertical axes. A large arched doorway occupies its centre, while smaller entrances, windows and stairways on either side provide access to the auxiliary rooms above and around the vaulted passage. These spaces were used for storing weapons and ammunition and for accommodating the guards responsible for controlling the gate.

Unlike the elaborate inner façade, the outer side facing the moat had a much simpler appearance. Five coats of arms belonging to Venetian officials were displayed above the entrance, recording the authorities under whom the gate was completed. In addition to the main urban entrance, the heart-shaped Jesus Bastion possessed two military gates, one on its eastern and another on its western side.

A conduit belonging to the great Morosini Aqueduct, constructed in 1627–1628, also entered Candia through the Gate of Jesus. The aqueduct brought water from springs on the northern slopes of Mount Juktas, continued through the interior of the fortifications and eventually supplied the celebrated Morosini Fountain in today’s Lions Square.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a large breach was opened in the wall east of the historic gate to accommodate increasing vehicle traffic. During the 1970s, this opening was bridged by the large arched structure that many residents now also call Kenourgia Porta. The original Venetian Gate of Jesus stands a few metres farther west.

The historic gate was restored and opened to the public in 2014. An exhibition dedicated to the life and work of the celebrated Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis was installed inside, close to his tomb on Martinengo Bastion. The restored monument is also used for exhibitions, educational programmes and cultural events.