Santorini island history

Santorini emerges from the depths of the sea and is called “Strogili” (round, in Greek) because of her shape. In the third millennium B.C. a city with an important port develops at Akrotiri. Following a period of major development, an earthquake (late 18th c. - early 17th c.) totally destroys the city. We have the opportunity to admire the wall paintings of the new rebuilt city at the museum of Pre-historic Thira.

The big volcanic eruption of the Later Bronze Age (approximately

1600 B.C.)

burries

everything.

What remains

is just three

stripes of land

of huge

geological interest (the big part with the Caldera, Nea Kameni and Thirasia), which are unique and well-known all over the world.

In the late13th c. B.C. Santorini is re-inhabited by the Phoenicians and later on by the Lakedaimonians (9th c. B.C.), who gave her the name “Thira”. During this period, Thira has achieved no significant cultural development, except for the foundation of a colony named Kirini and the adoption of the Phoenician alphabet in the 9th-8th c. B.C.

The Ptolemies use Thira in the Hellenistic Times as their headquarters during war, whereas in the Roman Times Thira completely “vanishes” from the map.

In the Byzantine Times

(after having been

christianised since the

4th c. A.C.) Alexios

A' Komninos founds the

Church of Panagia

Episkopi (11th c. A.C.),

which is still standing

today imposing in Mesa

Gonia.

Following the Crusades, Thira is granted to Markos Sanoudos (1204 A.C.) and gets integrated in the Duchy of the Aegean Sea.

The Venetians are the

ones who give her the

name “Santorini”,

deriving from “Santa

Irini”, the Latin name

for the Church of Saint

Irene. Rivalries between the Latin conquerors and pirates plague Santorini.

During the Turkish Occupation (1579-1821), Santorini develops commercial activity with the ports of the Eastern Mediterranean. Then follows economic and cultural growth, which accelerates after the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774 A.C.), according to which the merchant vessels of Santorini could sail in the Mediterranean Sea under the protection of the Russian flag.

The integration of

Santorini to the

newly-established

Greek State (1830)

signals a new

period of commercial

and shipping

prosperity.

In the 20th

century Santorini

comes to a decline

following the

World Wars.

The devastating

earthquake of

1956 leads to her desertification.

The development

of Tourism,

initiating at the

end of the 70ies,

will bring her

back to the light

of cosmopolitan

life. And the name of hers “Kallisti” (“the Most Beautiful”)!

Everybody knows her, everywhere they talk about her, they all dream of her one way or another and wish to enjoy a sunset in the Caldera! However, Santorini has

a great lot to tell us! Let us listen to her...

picture source http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/

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Find information about the Santorini Museums

Latest discovery

Geologist Walter Friedrich has recently studied a small branch of olive tree found carbonized in the Caldera.

This research has led to the assumption that the volcanic eruption took place a century earlier than the date archaeologists had traditionally calculated. What does this imply? That the Minoan Civilisation was probably not destroyed by the tidal wave induced by the volcanic eruption.

As a consequence, the prehistory of Creta and partially of Egypt has to be re-investigated anew.

We are in anticipation of the further research results.