MOVEMENTS OF ORTHODOX AND CATHOLIC PRIESTS FROM CRETE TO THE IONIAN ISLANDS, VENICE AND ISTRIA DURING THE CRETAN WAR

The purpose of the present early announcement is to inform the scientific community that an independent synthetic study of mine, on the subject: The Orthodox and Catholic Priests of the Cretan Diaspora (1645-1669) is being prepared for publication. Based on unpublished documentation gathered from research in the State Archive of Venice and the Historical Archive of Kythira.

The text of the early announcement focuses exclusively on the period of the Cretan War and on the role played by Catholic and Orthodox priests before their emigration.

It covers three parameters:

a) The formulation of a political ideology in favour of the Venetians, the Orthodox priests of Crete and their role as “trustworthy” agents of the Serenissima.

An irrefutable indication of this ideology is the use of religious banners of the Cretan War. We have Francesco Morosini’s banner, the only one known to date, in besieged Candia, as well as that revealed by research in the Historical Archive of Kythira, belonging to the Kallonas family, whose members were priests at Agarathos Monastery, and which was raised at the Battle of Kastelli Temenos. The artwork on the banner is, based on the above archival evidence, from the icon-painting workshop of the Holy Monastery of Chrysopigi (copyright); see Maria G. Patramani, “Religious banners and Ideology during the Cretan War.” The Kallonas family banner from Agarathos Monastery, at the Battle of Kastelli Temenos (1647) and the suggestion of its representation (Table 1). In publication in Modern Christian Crete (2017).

b) The collective record of the number of Cretan Orthodox and Catholic priests is provided, without any nominal reference.

c) Reference to the movement of cultural possessions (relics, etc.) which the Cretan Orthodox and Catholic priests brought to their new homes.