This volume gathers studies that concern various aspects of education and intellectual culture cultivated during the Byzantine period, especially during the years of Venetian rule in Crete. Throughout this long historical journey, not only was the Christian faith reinforced on the island—which had been weakened after the long-standing conquest by the Arabs—and the cultural emergence of the Orthodox population, but also the creative encounter between the Byzantine spiritual tradition and the literary and artistic movements of Italy introduced by the Venetian conquerors. This synthesis represents one of the most significant chapters in the complex history of the relations between Latin Western Europe and Byzantine East, and at the same time marks one of the most brilliant periods of modern Greek culture. Through these studies, individuals, institutions, and actions come to the forefront of history and are highlighted, to the extent of their contribution to the cultural events of Crete, as facets of an impressive mosaic created by the diverse spiritual creativity in Crete during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. [Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]