Spinalonga

Spinalonga is a small island in the Bay of Elounda, in eastern Crete, with a particularly eventful history.

Historical background

• Antiquity – Byzantine period: The area has been inhabited since antiquity. The island was fortified during the Byzantine era due to its strategic location.

• Venetian Rule (16th–17th centuries): The Venetians built one of the strongest fortresses in the Mediterranean to control the Gulf of Mirabello. The fortress remains largely intact to this day.

• Ottoman period: Although Crete came under Ottoman rule, Spinalonga remained under Venetian control for many years due to its strong fortifications. Later, Ottoman settlers moved in.

• Leper colony (1903–1957): Spinalonga became known primarily as a leper colony. Patients from all over Greece lived in isolation on the island. Despite the difficult conditions, an organised community developed, with houses, a church and basic services.

• After 1957: With advances in medicine, the leper colony closed and the island was abandoned.

Present-day view

Today, Spinalonga is an archaeological and historical site and a popular tourist destination. Visitors can see:

• the Venetian walls and bastions,

• the patients’ houses,

• the church of Saint Panteleimon,

• traces of the different historical periods that coexist on this small island.

Symbolism

Spinalonga symbolises:

• social exclusion and the stigma of illness,

• human resilience and solidarity,

• the coexistence of memory, history and cultural heritage.