Year 1204 AD: The troops of the Fourth Crusade, who have invaded the Byzantine Empire, occupy and plunder Constantinople. Greece is divided: new Greek, Frankish, and Venetian states are formed in the Aegean region. Three years later, a diverse group of adventurers led by Venetian Marco Sanudo seizes Naxos as well as other islands in the Cyclades.
Since then, the island of Ariadne will become the capital of the Duchy of the Aegean or the Archipelago. The Venetians will rule over Naxos for approximately three and a half centuries, establishing a feudal system that will last until the early 19th century. As a result, the power of their descendants over the locals will essentially be maintained even after the island is conquered by the Turks.
During this period, Naxos will be targeted in the Venetian-Turkish competition for dominance in the Aegean, while the arrival and activity of mainly French missionaries on the island with the tolerance of the Ottomans will strengthen the already strong Western presence in the Cyclades during the Ottoman rule.
The monuments left behind by the conquerors will remain silent witnesses of the Latin presence and dominance in Naxos: the Castle of Chora and the scattered towers throughout the island.