Vitsentzos Kornaros

Vitsentzos Kornaros lived in Crete from 1553 to 1613. He is most likely the poet of "Erotokritos." His family was very wealthy. Vitsentzos was the youngest of the five sons of the Venetian-Cretan Iakovos Kornaros. He was born on March 26, 1553, in the village of Trapezounda near Sitia. He hailed from the noble Kornaros family of Sitia. He remained there until 1590, that is, until he was thirty-five years old. The date of his marriage to Marietta Zeno is unknown, and all we know is that this marriage took place in Chandax. His wife came from an old family with significant land holdings. From his wife, he had two daughters, Kateroutsa and Eleneta. After his marriage and permanent settlement in the city where he was born, from 1598 to 1600, he lived with his children and wife. There are rumors that Kornaros settled in Chandax near his two brothers, Ioannis-Frangiskos and Andreas. He died in Chandax after August 12, 1613, and was buried in the Monastery of Saint Francis. The cause of his death is unknown, but considering he lived 35 years in Sitia, he must have died around the age of 58.