Rethymno, GR

Church of St. Francis - Archaeological Museum of Rethymno

The former church is St. Francis is a historic place of worship that today houses the Archaeological Museum of Rethymno.

About this building

The church was founded at the beginning of the 16th century as the catholicon of Saint Francis Monastery (Moni Agios Fragiskos). After the Ottomans conquered the city, the church became part of the Neratze Mosque complex as the Imaret or poorhouse.  In the 20th century the church was transformed into a cultural centre and more recently became the headquarters of the Archaeological Museum of Rethymno.

Key Features

  • Monuments

Visitors information

  • Accessible toilets in the building

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/C messier

Neratze Mosque

The Neratze Mosque, formerly the Santa Maria Church, was a monastery church converted into a mosque in 1657. Today, the building is a cultural centre for the municipality of Rethymno.

Wikimedia Commons/Tomisti

Church of St. Barbara, Rethymno

The church of St. Barbara (Agia Varvara) in Rethymno was built in 1885 on the site of an earlier church from 1663. During Ottoman rule of Crete the church was transformed into a bathhouse. With Russian occupation, the building served as a place of worship for the new authorities.

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