Anyone been to Spinalonga?
Discussion
I thought this place was fascinating and I must go back and take a longer look around sometime.
http://www.sutton.lincs.sch.uk/crete/spinalon.htm
http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/crete/elounda1.htm
The small island at the entrance of Elounda bay is best known as Spinalonga although it has been renamed Kalydon by decree.
The etymology of the name is interesting. It is Italian and means long thorn (Spina-longa). The reason the Venetians called it so, however, is not because it resembles a long thorn but because they adapted to their own language a Greek composite word "Stinelounda" meaning "to Elounda" (sten-Elounda). Thus, the name of the island is of linguistic interest.
The fortress of Spinalonga is one of the strongest on the whole island of Crete. The Venetians built it while they occupied the island and was considered impregnable.
Throughout the 17th century the fortress remained in Venetian hands and was a refuge for Christians fleeing from the Turks. In 1715, however, a Turkish Pasha managed to conquer the castle; after a long siege the Venetians capitulated and a treaty was signed.
After that, Turkish families who were afraid of the Christians inhabited the castle. After the Turks were driven out of Crete in 1903, the fortress was turned into a leper colony.
Nowadays the island is the main tourist attraction of the area. Several daily boat trips from Agios Nikolaos visit the island.
http://www.sutton.lincs.sch.uk/crete/spinalon.htm
http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/crete/elounda1.htm
The small island at the entrance of Elounda bay is best known as Spinalonga although it has been renamed Kalydon by decree.
The etymology of the name is interesting. It is Italian and means long thorn (Spina-longa). The reason the Venetians called it so, however, is not because it resembles a long thorn but because they adapted to their own language a Greek composite word "Stinelounda" meaning "to Elounda" (sten-Elounda). Thus, the name of the island is of linguistic interest.
The fortress of Spinalonga is one of the strongest on the whole island of Crete. The Venetians built it while they occupied the island and was considered impregnable.
Throughout the 17th century the fortress remained in Venetian hands and was a refuge for Christians fleeing from the Turks. In 1715, however, a Turkish Pasha managed to conquer the castle; after a long siege the Venetians capitulated and a treaty was signed.
After that, Turkish families who were afraid of the Christians inhabited the castle. After the Turks were driven out of Crete in 1903, the fortress was turned into a leper colony.
Nowadays the island is the main tourist attraction of the area. Several daily boat trips from Agios Nikolaos visit the island.
Yes, it is quite atmospheric, we were there a few weeks back. We drive as far as we could down the coast - excellent restaurants there and it's only a few hundred metres to the island (cheaper too). The trip from Agios is a lot longer and more 'touristic'.
Recommended. It was hot when we were there so one hour was enough for us.
Recommended. It was hot when we were there so one hour was enough for us.
Wow, haven't heard about Spinalonga since the late 70's when I was taken there on holiday as a boy.
I remember I got a bollocking though when I got home from my teacher for "making up" my summer holiday story about visiting a leper colony. So I brought in lots of pictures of leper graves
I remember I got a bollocking though when I got home from my teacher for "making up" my summer holiday story about visiting a leper colony. So I brought in lots of pictures of leper graves
*shudders* Was there last week, great place. It sounds terrible the first time you find out it was a leper colony until 1957, but when you consider the lepers were collected from over a large area where they had been leading lonely, isolated lives in caves and derelict housing, begging food and/or starving, to be settled in a community with good, clean accomodation, a hospital, church and market street, something like seventy staff and fresh produce brought in daily, you start to see the island in a different light.
Many of the lepers started families on the island, although their children were taken from them and given to adoption, (unneccesarily as it turned out as leprosy is not generally contagious).
Well worth a visit if you're visiting Crete.
Btw - U2 played on the island in 2000
Many of the lepers started families on the island, although their children were taken from them and given to adoption, (unneccesarily as it turned out as leprosy is not generally contagious).
Well worth a visit if you're visiting Crete.
Btw - U2 played on the island in 2000
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