Old Map of Crete by Blaeu, circa 1645

Crete, Candia and the Blaeu Map

Crete occupies a commanding position in the eastern Mediterranean, lying between mainland Greece, Asia Minor and the coast of North Africa. Its long, narrow form made it instantly recognisable to early cartographers, while its harbours and position on important sea routes gave the island considerable strategic and commercial importance.

On seventeenth-century European maps, Crete was frequently labelled Candia. The name originally referred particularly to the island’s principal city—today’s Heraklion—but during the long period of Venetian government it was also widely used for the island as a whole. Historical accounts note that Candia became the administrative capital under Venetian rule and that its name consequently passed into European mapmaking.

Venice acquired Crete following the division of the Byzantine Empire after the Fourth Crusade. The island then remained under Venetian control for more than four centuries. During this period, its ports linked the trade of Venice with the Aegean, the Levant and the wider Mediterranean world. Venetian influence could be seen in the island’s fortifications, civic buildings, harbours and architecture.

It was against this background that the Blaeu map was produced. Amsterdam had become one of Europe’s leading centres of map and atlas publishing, and the Blaeu family’s work was admired not only for its geographical information but also for its fine engraving, elegant lettering, ornamental cartouches and decorative colouring.

The map presents Crete stretched prominently across the sheet, with mountains suggested pictorially and towns distributed along the coastline and through the interior. The seas surrounding the island are enlivened with sailing vessels and ornamental details, turning a practical geographical image into a highly decorative work.

The title Candia olim Creta can be understood as “Candia, formerly Crete” or “Candia, once called Crete.” Surviving examples of this Blaeu design are generally associated with the mid-seventeenth century and later editions of the family’s atlases. Examples dated around 1650 and in the 1660s are held or recorded in map collections, which reflects the continued use of the plate through different editions.

The timing was historically significant. Ottoman forces began their major invasion of Crete in 1645. Chania fell first, followed by Rethymno, and the long siege of Candia began in 1648. The fortified capital resisted until 1669, when it finally surrendered and most of the island passed from Venetian to Ottoman rule.

The map therefore records Crete at the end of a remarkable era. It shows the island as it was understood by a leading Dutch map publisher while Venetian power in the eastern Mediterranean was being challenged. Its appeal today lies in this combination of history, geography and decorative artistry.

For anyone with family connections to Crete, memories of travelling there or simply an appreciation of historic Mediterranean cartography, this old map provides a fascinating link with the island’s past.

Other Historic Maps of Greece and the Mediterranean

Those interested in this old map of Crete may also enjoy our Old map of Greece by John Speed, together with historic island maps of Corfu and Santorin. For a wider view of the region, see our Mediterranean Islands Map and explore our full collection of Old maps of the Greek Islands.