Erofili Theatre

The Erofili Theatre in Rethymno prefecture is one of the most important cultural attractions in the city of Rethymno.

Built in the 20th century in the rampart of Agios Ilias inside the Fortezza Fortress, the Erofili Theater was named after the homonymous play written by an important poet of Cretan Renaissance, George Hortatzis, who was born and raised in Rethymno.

The idea to create a theater inside the fortress was old and many times publicly expressed by people of the arts, such as the actor Alexis Minotis and the architect Dimitris Pikionis. The first performances took place in the early 1970s on the site of the rampart of the Prophet Ilias, where just some seats were placed.

In 1993 the Erofili Theater was officially declared open with 500 permanent seats, a beautiful circular plaza surrounded by tall pine trees.

Today, cultural events take place every summer in Erofili Theater under the Renaissance Festival of Rethymno, one of the most important institutions organized by the municipality of Rethymno since 1987.