Casa Vitae is a contemporary boutique hotel steeped in history.

Its origins date back to the Venetian period (1211-1669) and it is estimated that it was built in the late Venetian early Ottoman period.

It is located in the Old Town of Rethymnon a few metres away from St Lazarous Chapel which is the property of the town hall and is used for civil wedding ceremonies.

We can speculate that Casa Vitae was originally a fortified house that was probably the residence of a nobleman maybe even the Venetian governor.

A stone that was found to the left of the main entrance bore the Latin initials C.A.

and there is speculation these may have been the initials of its nobleman owner.

After the occupation of Crete by the Ottomans in the year 1669 the house was inhabited by the Turks and its Venetian architecture was added to by the Ottomans.

In the beautiful courtyard three Venetian pillars still stand alongside a unique octagonal fountain the only surviving example in its shape from this period