The small village Marmaketo is located on the northeastern side of the Lassithi plateau, right next to the village Farsaro. Marmaketo got its name from the surname of his first settler, who was called Marmakiotis.
According to another version, the village is said to have taken its name from the craftsmen who previously built the thresholds and the windows of the houses. Large stones were mined out of the village quarries and then were sent to these special craftsmen to shape them properly. These craftsmen were called "Marmaketes".
The habitation of the area of Marmaketo dates from the Neolithic Age (3,500 BC), as evidenced by the various buildings and burial finds found on Kastelo Hill. Kastelos is about a kilometer north of Marmaketo and above it is cave Kronio, also known as cave Trapeza.
Marmaketo was the birthplace of the great chieftain of Lassithi, Emmanuel Rovithis (Captain Kazanis), who was born in 1793. Captain Kazanis fought many times against the Turks and led the Lassithians in many battles. In his honor a bust has been placed in the central square of the village, where a wreath of flowers is placed at each national holiday.