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Judicial – Administrative Palace

The Judicial – Administrative Palace, the “Directorate” palace, or “Palace of the Courts” is located on Liberty Square and it is the second public building, after the Italian barracks, built outside the walls of the old city.

Its construction began in the last years of the Turkish occupation, and it was intended as a Turkish military hospital. In 1893, Michael Savakis took over the supervision of the project of construction of the Judicial – Administrative Palace.

It is composed of four wings, forming a rectangle, with an interior patio with pine in the center.

With the creation of the free Cretan State, the Palace housed the Courts and the Court of Appeal of Crete. On 13th of May in 1900, the senior management, the “Ministries of Crete” were transferred from Chalepa to the Judicial – Administrative Palace.

The Judicial – Administrative Palace influenced the morphology of the structure of the first draft of the new city and the planning of some of the main roads. Iroon Politehniu or Dikastirion-Chalepas street is planted with a double row of “luxury” trees throughout its total length.

In 1936, after a fire, a third floor was added and the Judicial – Administrative Palace underwent a major renovation.

Today, the building houses the Legal and Administrative Services of Chania.

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