Scala de Faro

HISTORICAL DATA The history of the building probably begins in the 15th-16th century, when it was built by the Venetians. Based on the material and the way of construction, as well as the historical narratives, we assume that in the first period of Venetian domination there was a two-storey building with the vaults of carved poros on the ground floor and the Piano Nobile, the floor of the Venetian nobility above. The monumental scale of the northern façade is the most characteristic element of the building and proves its original Venetian origin. The ornate stone arched staircase is a fortified monument and is orally ornate later with herbal decoration and with the built-in Muslim fountain laying low inside its arc. After the city of Chania was delivered to the Turks in 1645, the building displayed different interventions. From the narrations of the Tournefort traveler in 1717 , the building seemed to follow in structure the typical home of the time. The house had two floors with a cellar and stables on the ground floor, walls of chiseled stones in the first, tattered walls in the second one and an open-planted terrace with flowers and climbing plants. This is also shown in the construction of the dividing south wall of the 2nd floor revealed during the restoration of the building from old contracts, we know that in 1890 there was a descendant of the Softazade family, a distinguished Turkish-Cretan family. In the last 118 years, the building, as a chameleon, has constantly changed its appearance and spaces, expressing its needs and times. In 1932, Antonakakis, a great businessman of the time, took it from an auction, rebuilt it and started operating it, one of the first hotels in the city in 1934 under the name MINERVA. After 36 years of operation as a hotel, it closed in 1970 and was used as the residence of Mrs. Anthoula Antonakaki, a special person in the city of Chania. In this listed building located in the heart of the Venetian harbor, guests can enjoy the excellent views of the sea, the old Venetian harbor, and the city, with all the modern amenities of a traveler. It consists of 9 unique rooms and suites, arranged on 3 floors in the north and south, overlooking either the sea or the picturesque narrow streets of the old town and the mountains. Each floor has its own distinct features, referring to the elements of construction and the chronological phase that was created (Venetian, Ottoman, and Modern Greek periods), elements repeated in decorative motifs. The spaces were designed with the aim of following the basic architectural elements of the building and reusing original elements, shapes, and materials such as wooden paneling ceilings, wooden floors, classic doors, and stones. The materials used in the construction, such as ecological and biological insulating and mineral paints, are friendly to users and the environment there is also a possibility of combining rooms to meet the varying needs of numerous travellers, as well as exclusive use of the rooftop floor.