Vitsentzos Kornaros

Vitsenzos Kornaros – The poet from Sitia

Sitia is the birthplace of the poet Vitsenzos Kornaros (or Vicenzo Cornaro). His best-known work is “Erotokritos”, the romantic and chivalrous tale of the star-crossed lovers Erotokritos and Aretoussa, who eventually overcame all obstacles to live happily ever after.

Vitsenzos Kornaros (1553 – 1613) is one of the major representatives of Cretan Literature and helped to establish the form of the narrative poem in Crete.

Walking along the paved beach road in Sitia, you will see the poet’s statue and the famous poem in rhyming couplets (mantinades), loosely translated as:

I have no wish to hide away so people will ignore me,
I want to reveal myself that everyone may know me.
Vicenzos is the poet’s name, Kornaros his family
When his death comes, he hopes of sin he may be free.
In Sitia was he born, in Sitia was bred,
There he worked hard to write all these words that you’ve read.
At Kastro was he married as nature maintains,
His end shall be wherever God may ordain.

• Watch a videoclip from Erotokritos sung by Nikos Xilouris