Palace of Phaestos

The palace of Phaestos stands dominantly on a hill at the edge of the Messara Plain with a wonderful panorama view of the plain to the Asteroussia Mountains and the Ida Range where, according to mythology, King Radamanthes, son of Zeus and brother of King Minos, ruled over the city with the same name and over the south of Crete, 4000 years ago. You can check all arcaheological sites in Crete. make your reservation now through http://www.beeinnet.com/ and visit the Land of Myth and Heart...

The city controlled the whole of the Messara Plain; its ports were Kommos and Matala.
Stone Age settlements covering the whole area up until 2600 BC have been documented.
The building of the first palace took place in 1800 BC and was destroyed in 1700 BC by a huge earthquake. The new palace was built on the foundations of the old one in 1600 BC, but was smaller. A natural disaster completely destroyed the complex in 1450 BC and it was never rebuilt.
Most of the ruins, which are visible today, are from the new palace. Any form of reconstruction was consciously rejected.

The finds of the new palace were not as splendid as those of the old palace. In Phaestos neither rich frescoes nor valuable things were found as in Knossos for example. As valuable finds were made in 3 km distant Villa of Agia Triada, it is assumed that the ruler of Phaestos used the villa as residence.
The Italian archaeologist Fredrico Halbherr, who had mainly been digging at Gortyna, began the excavation of Phaestos in 1900.
The most well known find is the Discus of Phaestos; up until today the script has still not been deciphered.

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