The Nikos Kazantzakis Museum, strengthening its presence in cultural events outside its walls, had the pleasure of participating for the first time in the artistic festival "Street Art 2024" organized by the Municipality of Heraklion, with the educational walk for adults "In the footsteps of Kazantzakis... The Great Castle" held on Tuesday 18 and Thursday 20 June 2024 at 18:30.
Taking a trip back in time, we toured the city where the universal author was born and raised. We followed a route with points of the city described by Nikos Kazantzakis in his novels and connected them with selected passages from his works "Reference to Greco" and "Captain Michalis".
Starting from "small Agios Minas" we observed the complex of three churches ("small Agios Minas", Metropolitan Church of Agios Minas and Agia Aikaterini) and got to know the monumental topography and architecture of Heraklion emphasizing the coexistence of the different religions and cultures that existed in town. We walked on Platia Strata, today's Kalokairinos Avenue, and tried to imagine the shops that existed during the author's childhood.
We headed down the street where the Kazantzakis house stood and traced the similarities and differences in the city's surviving structures while discussing its past that has been lost through the development of recent decades. We highlighted the importance of the artistic impression of the facade of the Kazantzakis house that preserves in our memory the location of the house where Nikos Kazantzakis was born and grew up as well as the role played by the artist, Amfitriti Anagnostopoulou-Petrea.
Using our senses we discovered the smells, tastes and sounds of the Great Castle and tried to feel the pulse of the city of that time. We stopped at the Morosini Fountain and the New Gate, and ascending to the Martinego Bastion, the highest point of the Walls of Heraklion, we pointed out the figures who deeply influenced the author in his life and work.
We completed our walk with our visit to the tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis from where we enjoyed the sunset and the view of the city from above.
The walk lasted 1.5 hours and a total of 57 adults participated who accompanied us on this very beautiful route which aimed to get to know the Great Castle of Nikos Kazantzakis.
We sincerely thank the Municipality of Heraklion for the beautiful cooperation and the participants for their participation and energetic attitude.
