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46 EXPLORE / CRETE

From Ancient Greeks to Arab pirates, Ottomans to lepers and beyond, Spinalonga
islet has a rich, profound history.

OWING ITS NAME TO LATIN SPINA [thorn] nurses, a superintendent, cleaning staff, a finan-
and longa [thorn], Spinalonga was not always cial department and a priest. One of its two en-
an island, if Venetian cartographer Vincenzo Co- trances was a tunnel known as “Dante’s Gate.”
ronelli is to be believed; he recorded that the Ve- With the little government funding they received,
netians cut through a portion of the peninsula, patients were able to go down to the docks and
creating an islet that measures 85 km² today. It buy produce from the surrounding area’s fami-
was depopulated in the 7th century due to Arab lies, who arrived daily. Any products not sold on
pirate raids. In 1579, the Venetians built a for- the day were considered contaminated, could not
tress on the ruins of a pre-existing ancient for- be taken back ashore and were therefore thrown
tress, which remained under Venetian rule even away into the sea. Nevertheless, during this pe-
after the 1669 Ottoman occupation of Crete. The riod, the leper colony supported the economy
churches of Agios Panteleimonas and Agios Geor- of the surrounding area. Patients were initial-
gios were built subsequently. In fact, during the ly housed in existing buildings, while addition-
Cretan War (1645-1669), Spinalonga served al construction was carried out in the ‘30s. The
as a base for refugees and rebels, consequently Leper Hospital operated until 1957.
falling to the Turks in 1715. In the 19th centu- Today, visitors can reach Spinalonga via a
ry, several merchants and seamen moved to the scenic boat trip across the water to explore the
islet, seeking the security offered by the fortress remains of this historic settlement. In this eerie
in their exploitation of the commercial routes of yet charming setting, the past renders the ex-
the eastern Mediterranean. It is estimated that perience of wandering around the colony and
by 1834, 80 families lived in Spinalonga. By learning about its history profound. Dilapidated
1881, the number had increased to 227 families. but with restoration works underway, Spinalon-
In 1903, the State of Crete decided that the is- ga may be haunted by sadness and memories of
land would house Crete’s leper community – it tragic times but there is no doubt that it is a fas-
would go on to become a colony for lepers from cinating open-air museum worthy of a poignant
all over Greece, overseen by a director, doctor, visit that pays respect to its former inhabitants.

As seen
from Domes
of Elounda
across the
water, Lasithi's
Spinalonga islet
only hints at the
rich history it
hides.

D

M

047_Liolio_publi_fin.indd 47 5/8/19 5:50 μμ