Can the destructive rage of nature create a landscape of unprecedented beauty?
Can human power defy the danger and create masterpieces under the threat of it being short-lived?
Santorini gives answers to both these questions and it is astonishingly affirmative.
It is one of the few cases in which reality exceeds all expectations. As many travel guides as you may have read, as many magnificent photos you may have seen, the first time you see with your own eyes the sight of the settlements shining under the Greek sunlight on the edge of the caldera as if they were foam on a frozen wave of lava, you will be astonished.
No matter how many islands there are in Greece, the most wonderful and magnificent one, is only Santorini, the daughter of the volcano.
Apart from the unique beauty of the caldera, a giant “pot”, where on top of its rim some of the most brilliant works of the Cycladean architecture are stretched, the island is also of great historical, archaeological and geological interest. Moreover the island is rich in legends, myths, traditions, customs, feasts and festivals.
The name of Santorini derives from the church of Saint Eirini which is on the far tip of Thirasia, Riva.
It was given its name by Venetian Sailors, since it was the first church they saw on their right before they entered the caldera from the north.
Can human power defy the danger and create masterpieces under the threat of it being short-lived?
Santorini gives answers to both these questions and it is astonishingly affirmative.
It is one of the few cases in which reality exceeds all expectations. As many travel guides as you may have read, as many magnificent photos you may have seen, the first time you see with your own eyes the sight of the settlements shining under the Greek sunlight on the edge of the caldera as if they were foam on a frozen wave of lava, you will be astonished.
No matter how many islands there are in Greece, the most wonderful and magnificent one, is only Santorini, the daughter of the volcano.
Apart from the unique beauty of the caldera, a giant “pot”, where on top of its rim some of the most brilliant works of the Cycladean architecture are stretched, the island is also of great historical, archaeological and geological interest. Moreover the island is rich in legends, myths, traditions, customs, feasts and festivals.
The name of Santorini derives from the church of Saint Eirini which is on the far tip of Thirasia, Riva.
It was given its name by Venetian Sailors, since it was the first church they saw on their right before they entered the caldera from the north.
What has been both a blessing and a curse for the island of Santorini is its volcano. Even though it has been peaceful over the last decades, it is known that it has been troubling the residents with its eruptions for centuries or even millennia. But to tell the truth, without the volcano, the island would not have the current morphology, if it would even exist.
The volcano itself has been self-destroyed and reborn dozens of times over the last 400000 years. Nevertheless it is known that around 2000 BC Santorini was a round island called “Stroggili”
The biggest explosion, which led to the creation of the caldera and the current landscape as it is today, happened in prehistoric years.
There are two main theories regarding when this explosion happened. The first places it around 2000 BC and the second one around 1500 BC.
If the second one is true, then it is highly possible that due to this explosion, a gigantic tsunami was created and this caused the destruction of the Minoan Civilization. In any case, over the last few years another theory has prevailed which places the great eruption in 1650 BC and refutes the theory that the explosion and the destruction of the Minoan Civilization are connected.
Thus, Santorini, Thirasia and Aspronisi are parts of the ancient Stroggili. Since the great explosion of 1650 BC and until the last one in 1950 AD, 8 more explosions have taken place some of which led to the creation of the Old and New Kameni in the middle of the caldera at different times. Those two small islands were created from the deposits of lava which initially created underwater cones around the crater which later emerged.
Irrespective of the different time there are many who say there is a connection between the great explosion and the legend of Defkalionas and Pyrra, while others go even further claiming the great explosion is relevant to the Plagues of Pharaoh. In any case, the most popular myth is the one which holds the volcano responsible for the destruction of Atlantis. Even Cousteau has looked for Atlantis here but the mystery was lost and its solution was hidden for ever after the explosion of the volcano. On a daily basis, tens of small boats, traditional caiques and modern glass-bottom boats depart from the old port of Fira and Ammoudi for mini cruises to the heart of the caldera.
This experience should not be missed, because you will, among other things, be given the chance to walk on the crater of an active volcano. The first stop is made in New Kameni and the second one in Old Kameni where you can swim in thermal springs. A third stop is made in Thirasia which is like a miniature of Santorini as it was some decades ago before its touristic development. The visitors have the chance to have lunch at any of the taverns of Korfos the sea-side settlement or to walk up the path which leads to the top of the caldera of Thira called Manolas, the central residence of the settlement. When those tourist boats remain at Korfos the island is full of life and as they slowly depart it looks as if it slowly goes back to sleep. The most expensive mini cruises include dinner on board while the sun sets in the waters of the Aegean Sea. That is another nomination for the “Best sunset in Santorini”.
The volcano itself has been self-destroyed and reborn dozens of times over the last 400000 years. Nevertheless it is known that around 2000 BC Santorini was a round island called “Stroggili”
The biggest explosion, which led to the creation of the caldera and the current landscape as it is today, happened in prehistoric years.
There are two main theories regarding when this explosion happened. The first places it around 2000 BC and the second one around 1500 BC.
If the second one is true, then it is highly possible that due to this explosion, a gigantic tsunami was created and this caused the destruction of the Minoan Civilization. In any case, over the last few years another theory has prevailed which places the great eruption in 1650 BC and refutes the theory that the explosion and the destruction of the Minoan Civilization are connected.
Thus, Santorini, Thirasia and Aspronisi are parts of the ancient Stroggili. Since the great explosion of 1650 BC and until the last one in 1950 AD, 8 more explosions have taken place some of which led to the creation of the Old and New Kameni in the middle of the caldera at different times. Those two small islands were created from the deposits of lava which initially created underwater cones around the crater which later emerged.
Irrespective of the different time there are many who say there is a connection between the great explosion and the legend of Defkalionas and Pyrra, while others go even further claiming the great explosion is relevant to the Plagues of Pharaoh. In any case, the most popular myth is the one which holds the volcano responsible for the destruction of Atlantis. Even Cousteau has looked for Atlantis here but the mystery was lost and its solution was hidden for ever after the explosion of the volcano. On a daily basis, tens of small boats, traditional caiques and modern glass-bottom boats depart from the old port of Fira and Ammoudi for mini cruises to the heart of the caldera.
This experience should not be missed, because you will, among other things, be given the chance to walk on the crater of an active volcano. The first stop is made in New Kameni and the second one in Old Kameni where you can swim in thermal springs. A third stop is made in Thirasia which is like a miniature of Santorini as it was some decades ago before its touristic development. The visitors have the chance to have lunch at any of the taverns of Korfos the sea-side settlement or to walk up the path which leads to the top of the caldera of Thira called Manolas, the central residence of the settlement. When those tourist boats remain at Korfos the island is full of life and as they slowly depart it looks as if it slowly goes back to sleep. The most expensive mini cruises include dinner on board while the sun sets in the waters of the Aegean Sea. That is another nomination for the “Best sunset in Santorini”.
Only a few know that it was in the 1930’s that Oia took this name. In ancient times, Oia was the name of the city (“Thireon polis”) where Kamari is today. Apparently, ancient Oia was the port of ancient Thira, the city which was built on the top of Mesa Vouno Mountain, on the south of Santorini. The first name of the current settlement of Oia was Saint Nicolas castle or Epano Meria ( Panomerea) . This is how the village on the north end of the island was named, when Santorini was attached to the Duchy of the Archipelago in 1207.
After the Fourth Crusade and the taking of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the Republic of Venice chose the Cyclades Archipelago. The Venetians, having sailed around the world, chose the areas with the biggest commercial opportunities. They weren’t interested in agricultural soils, as were the Crusaders, but cared more about their commercial interests. Thus, they asked the Byzantines for the islands of the Aegean Sea, which were important seaways of that time. Marco Sanudo was the first duch, who, in 1207, created the Duchy of the Archipelago. Santorini was handed over from Marco Sanudo to Jacomo Barozzi. The Latin settlers built 5 fortresses, where they settled; the so-called Castelia. Each one had its own administrator. The first castle, the Castle of Saint Nicolas or the Castle of Epano Meria, situated in current Oia, was given to the Dargenta lords, who were Romanised Greeks. The second castle rises in front of current Imerovigli and was the Castle of Skaros. Barozzi, along with his family and other nobles settled there and this castle housed the central Venetian administration. The rest of the castles were in Pyrgos, Emporio and the fifth in the south edge of Santorini, in Akrotiri. In the end of the 13th century, the power belonged to the Western men, who created a social status similar to the one of the West. The Catholics, who started coming to the island after the creation of the Duchy of the Archipelago, were mostly Venetians. With time, though, more people started coming, from other parts besides Venice. They came from Spain, Portugal, France, as well as from Byzantine territories ( Asia Minor, Mainland Greece, Pontos) .
At that time, piracy, as ancient as navigation, was a great plague. Santorini was one of the pirate’s favourite hideout islands. The number of pirate raids was so big that it is mentioned that the population had significantly decreased. So the poor islanders made the decision to build their settlements in higher and more inaccessible areas, where they could be out of sight and thus safe.
They built or carved the rock at steep places. Two-storey or three-storey attached cave houses, with raised exterior walls, so that they would create the walls of the castle and those of the settlement. In some places there were small openings- observation posts, the so-called Goulades.
The Castles of Pyrgos, Emporio and Akrotiri were not destroyed completely by the earthquakes, thus allowing you to see the way they were built. However, that’s not the case in Oia. Today, someone who visits the north-west edge of Oia actually visits the ruins of the castle-observation post. The building had been intact, along with the Curch of Panagia the Platsani, until the catastrophic earthquake of July 1956. The Varozzi family kept Santorini for 128 years (1207-1335) . In the year 1335, the rulers of the Duchy of the Archipelato, the Sanudi attacked them and managed to annex Santorini to their territories. They reinforced their fortifications in all the castles, they favored the wine growing and they launched the cultivation of cotton. The cotton was a different and unique plant. It was perennial and not one-year like in other places (sowing and harvest in the same year) , it lived for more than one hundred years. It was like a low-raised tree, similar to the vineyards. But its uniqueness was its reddish, silky colour. As for the wine of Santorini, it continued being sold at the same markets of the East even after the fall of Constantinople. (1453) . In November 1357, there was a big volcano eruption. Palea Kameni, which once was one island, was divided in two. In 1387, Santorini was handed over to the Crispi Duchy. Finally, in 1566 the Duchy of the Archipelago was handed over to the Ottomans. After 359 years (1207-1566) the Duchy of the Archipelago ceased to exist. In September 1650 occurred the great eruption of the Columbo volcano. This volcano is now underwater. It is located on the north-east side of Oia and is just 6, 5 km from the shore. The eruption was tremendous and lasted over two months, accompanied with strong earthquakes and lava ejecting. On 29th September a seismic sea wave covered a large part of the valley, destroying numerous cultivations. This wave reached the island of Crete. From the lava, a reef was created, and it was given the name Columbo. Its base is 300 meters deep while its top is only 19 meters from the surface of the sea.
The word Columbo is the corruption of the word colomba, that means dove. This volcano, unlike the others, the Palea and Nea Kameni, which are black, is all white, like the dove. This is why, before it sank in the depths of the sea, was named Colombo or Columbo.
During the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire (1821) Santorini offered so many ships and crew that was ranked third after the islands of Hydra and Spetses.
On 5th May 1821, anniversary of Saint Irene, the delegate of D. Ipsilantis raised the flag of Revolution on the island of Santorini. After Greece was liberated, Santorini became a province of the new Greek nation (1827) .
After the Fourth Crusade and the taking of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the Republic of Venice chose the Cyclades Archipelago. The Venetians, having sailed around the world, chose the areas with the biggest commercial opportunities. They weren’t interested in agricultural soils, as were the Crusaders, but cared more about their commercial interests. Thus, they asked the Byzantines for the islands of the Aegean Sea, which were important seaways of that time. Marco Sanudo was the first duch, who, in 1207, created the Duchy of the Archipelago. Santorini was handed over from Marco Sanudo to Jacomo Barozzi. The Latin settlers built 5 fortresses, where they settled; the so-called Castelia. Each one had its own administrator. The first castle, the Castle of Saint Nicolas or the Castle of Epano Meria, situated in current Oia, was given to the Dargenta lords, who were Romanised Greeks. The second castle rises in front of current Imerovigli and was the Castle of Skaros. Barozzi, along with his family and other nobles settled there and this castle housed the central Venetian administration. The rest of the castles were in Pyrgos, Emporio and the fifth in the south edge of Santorini, in Akrotiri. In the end of the 13th century, the power belonged to the Western men, who created a social status similar to the one of the West. The Catholics, who started coming to the island after the creation of the Duchy of the Archipelago, were mostly Venetians. With time, though, more people started coming, from other parts besides Venice. They came from Spain, Portugal, France, as well as from Byzantine territories ( Asia Minor, Mainland Greece, Pontos) .
At that time, piracy, as ancient as navigation, was a great plague. Santorini was one of the pirate’s favourite hideout islands. The number of pirate raids was so big that it is mentioned that the population had significantly decreased. So the poor islanders made the decision to build their settlements in higher and more inaccessible areas, where they could be out of sight and thus safe.
They built or carved the rock at steep places. Two-storey or three-storey attached cave houses, with raised exterior walls, so that they would create the walls of the castle and those of the settlement. In some places there were small openings- observation posts, the so-called Goulades.
The Castles of Pyrgos, Emporio and Akrotiri were not destroyed completely by the earthquakes, thus allowing you to see the way they were built. However, that’s not the case in Oia. Today, someone who visits the north-west edge of Oia actually visits the ruins of the castle-observation post. The building had been intact, along with the Curch of Panagia the Platsani, until the catastrophic earthquake of July 1956. The Varozzi family kept Santorini for 128 years (1207-1335) . In the year 1335, the rulers of the Duchy of the Archipelato, the Sanudi attacked them and managed to annex Santorini to their territories. They reinforced their fortifications in all the castles, they favored the wine growing and they launched the cultivation of cotton. The cotton was a different and unique plant. It was perennial and not one-year like in other places (sowing and harvest in the same year) , it lived for more than one hundred years. It was like a low-raised tree, similar to the vineyards. But its uniqueness was its reddish, silky colour. As for the wine of Santorini, it continued being sold at the same markets of the East even after the fall of Constantinople. (1453) . In November 1357, there was a big volcano eruption. Palea Kameni, which once was one island, was divided in two. In 1387, Santorini was handed over to the Crispi Duchy. Finally, in 1566 the Duchy of the Archipelago was handed over to the Ottomans. After 359 years (1207-1566) the Duchy of the Archipelago ceased to exist. In September 1650 occurred the great eruption of the Columbo volcano. This volcano is now underwater. It is located on the north-east side of Oia and is just 6, 5 km from the shore. The eruption was tremendous and lasted over two months, accompanied with strong earthquakes and lava ejecting. On 29th September a seismic sea wave covered a large part of the valley, destroying numerous cultivations. This wave reached the island of Crete. From the lava, a reef was created, and it was given the name Columbo. Its base is 300 meters deep while its top is only 19 meters from the surface of the sea.
The word Columbo is the corruption of the word colomba, that means dove. This volcano, unlike the others, the Palea and Nea Kameni, which are black, is all white, like the dove. This is why, before it sank in the depths of the sea, was named Colombo or Columbo.
During the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire (1821) Santorini offered so many ships and crew that was ranked third after the islands of Hydra and Spetses.
On 5th May 1821, anniversary of Saint Irene, the delegate of D. Ipsilantis raised the flag of Revolution on the island of Santorini. After Greece was liberated, Santorini became a province of the new Greek nation (1827) .
Museums of Santorini
Naval museum of Oia
This unique maritime museum is one of the few in the Aegean Sea and is located in Oia. With a great variety of exhibits, it attempts to describe the maritime history of Santorini, especially during its great prosperity in the 19th century.
Museum of prehistoric Thira
A one of a kind peripheral museum, houses exhibits from the excavation at Akrotiri and illustrates prehistoric Thira through selected findings. It covers the course of the island from the early Neolithic period to the late Cycladic period as well as the prosperous times of Akrotiri with allocated parts such as the architecture of the city, development of art etc. Plaster casts of furniture, household items, guns, seals and wall paintings are some of the most impressive exhibits. The museum is located in Fira.
Archaeological Museum (Fira)
Even though most of the findings from the excavation at Akrotiri can be found in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, the Archaeological Museum of Fira contains various artifacts from excavations on the island and more particularly in Thira. An important exhibit is a collection of geometric red and black vases of the 5th century BC. Among the exhibits, there are many inscriptions, prehistoric and Minoan findings as well as Hellinistic period sculptures and Byzantine works of art.
Wine Museum of Santorini
A unique voyage in the history of wine in santorini. The museum is in Vothonas. The wine-making process is hosted in a building of traditional atmosphere but is also fully equipped. The unique wine museum is actually a natural cave 6 meters below ground and 300 meters in length. It presents the history of wine and the life of the Santorinian wine maker from 1660 to 1950 in viewings of semi-mobile and still-life figurines as well as audio tours. In the wine makery there is also the opportunity of wine tasting in order for the visitors to get to know the high quality of the wines of Santorini.
This unique maritime museum is one of the few in the Aegean Sea and is located in Oia. With a great variety of exhibits, it attempts to describe the maritime history of Santorini, especially during its great prosperity in the 19th century.
Museum of prehistoric Thira
A one of a kind peripheral museum, houses exhibits from the excavation at Akrotiri and illustrates prehistoric Thira through selected findings. It covers the course of the island from the early Neolithic period to the late Cycladic period as well as the prosperous times of Akrotiri with allocated parts such as the architecture of the city, development of art etc. Plaster casts of furniture, household items, guns, seals and wall paintings are some of the most impressive exhibits. The museum is located in Fira.
Archaeological Museum (Fira)
Even though most of the findings from the excavation at Akrotiri can be found in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, the Archaeological Museum of Fira contains various artifacts from excavations on the island and more particularly in Thira. An important exhibit is a collection of geometric red and black vases of the 5th century BC. Among the exhibits, there are many inscriptions, prehistoric and Minoan findings as well as Hellinistic period sculptures and Byzantine works of art.
Wine Museum of Santorini
A unique voyage in the history of wine in santorini. The museum is in Vothonas. The wine-making process is hosted in a building of traditional atmosphere but is also fully equipped. The unique wine museum is actually a natural cave 6 meters below ground and 300 meters in length. It presents the history of wine and the life of the Santorinian wine maker from 1660 to 1950 in viewings of semi-mobile and still-life figurines as well as audio tours. In the wine makery there is also the opportunity of wine tasting in order for the visitors to get to know the high quality of the wines of Santorini.
Archaeological sights of Santorini
On the south coast of Santorini where there is the last of the five “kastelia”, also known as “kasteli of Punda” a great archaeological sight is located. The excavation started in 1967 by the most important archaeologist Sp. Marinatos and revealed a whole prehistoric city. The impressive findings prove that an organized “urban” society in the Aegean Sea in the second millennium BC existed. The use of writing (Linear A) , the elaborate wall paintings, the city infrastructure, the standardization of measures, the multiple financial activities, the commercial relationships with other parts of the Mediterranean, the allocation of work and the technical specialization are all proof of a prosperous civilization that was unfortunately destroyed by the great eruption around 1650 BC.
Due to the fact that no human remains were found, it seems that the volcano had already “warned” for its becoming active by earthquakes. Thus, the prehistoric residents of Akrotiri managed to abandon their settlement. On the other hand, the volcanic ash which covered everything, helped in the preservation of roads, houses, pottery and wall paintings. The excavation area covers 10, 000 square meters and is thought to represent only 1/10 of the original settlement.
ANCIENT THIRA
In the remains of ancient Thira excavated by German archaeologists, there were found graves and inscriptions that prove it was the capital of the ancient Dorians settlers in the 9th century BC. During the 8th century BC a hero from Thiva called Thiras left Sparti where he used to live and with a group of nobles they settled in Santorini. Afterwards, the island was given his name. Herodotus wrote that Santorini had 7 different cities and was ruled by king Grinias.
