In the centre of the old town of Rethymno, on the shopping street of Arkadiou, close to the Venetian harbour is a beautiful Venetian Loggia. The building was built in the mid 16th century by the famous Venetian architect Michele Sanmicheli. The Venetian loggia is a square building with three arched facades, each of which has three equal semi-circular arches. The Central arch on each side was the entrance to a building. The southern wall of the Loggia has no arches and is a blank wall. The Western facade is decorated with two gargoyles with human faces. Originally it was an open wooden structure with a sloping roof, which in 1625, was converted into a loft. In the period of Turkish rule in Rethymnon Venetian Loggia was placed in the mosque. From the West side of the minaret was built, but in 1930 it was demolished. Nearby is the famous loggia, the Rimondi fountain.

The Venetian Loggia was a place where going to the Venetian to know and government officials to discuss economic and political issues. The building of the Loggia was used as a place of recreation for the local aristocracy and a variety of entertainment events. Now the building belongs to the Ministry of culture. Some time in the Venetian loggia housed the Archaeological Museum of Rethymno town with a fascinating collection of artifacts from the Neolithic period until the Roman era.

Beautiful architectural monument of the 16th century has been preserved almost in its original form. In 1990-ies was carried out the restoration of the Venetian Loggia.