Spinalonga is an island in the Gulf of Elounda, famous for its large Venetian fortress built in the 16th century. The reason for grandiose construction projects was the Fourth Venetian – Turkish War, after which the Turks conquered Cyprus in the period from 1571 to 1573. Then the Republic of Venice decided to build a series of large fortresses on the territory of Crete: in Heraklion, Rethymno, Chania, Gramvusa and Souda, in order to defend the island against a sudden attack by the Turks.

Until the advent of gunpowder, fortifications were built by connecting towers with defensive walls, with the distance between the towers being equal to the range of arrows. The fortresses had several closely spaced towers. Such a fortification system was not conducive to new weapons, primarily cannons, which is why instead of towers, bastions are built, which are much more massive, wider, lower and projecting towards the walls. Artillery is placed in the bastions, and fortresses become impregnable unless surrendered in case of blockade and general shortage, especially of necessary goods.

The name of the fortress comes from the Venetian expression Spina – Long, which means “long thorn”. The similar term Spinalunga was once used for Giudecca, a large island in Venice.

Spinalonga fortress has the shape of a triangle. The front part of the fortress is fortified with three semi-bastions.

Along the coast defence walls were built on all sides.

The fortress can be entered through three gates. The picture shows one auxiliary gate.

The two front bastions are fortified with a raised semicircular structure, which can accommodate three rows of cannons. The professional name for this building is demiluna or ravelin and it is an independent building that additionally protects bastions and gates.

At the very top of the island, above the main demilune, a fortified artillery position was situated.

Another demilune was built on the north side.

The Venetians also built other necessary facilities in the fortress: food and ammunition warehouses, rooms for soldiers, cisterns, churches, the military commander’s palace… Over time, especially after the wars with the Turks, the fortress was inhabited by civilians, refugees, merchants and others while building their housing facilities on the island. In addition to the military, the island also acquired a civilian character.

From 1645-1669. the Candian War lasted between the Turks and the Venetians, which ended with the Turkish conquest of Crete. With the agreement, the Turks allowed the Venetians to keep 3 fortresses on Crete, including Spinalonga. Venetian merchant ships could dock at the fortresses for protection, trade and repairs. After the fall of Crete, refugees and rebels, who could not come to terms with the new government, took refuge in Spinalonga.

The Turks did not stick to the agreement very much and already in 1715 they attacked Spinalonga. After a three-month siege, they forced the Venetians to surrender. In addition to Spinaloga, the Turks also got Suda, the second Venetian fortress on Crete. The Venetians were able to evacuate the island without hindrance. Although the local Greek population, according to the agreement, was guaranteed safety, the Turks captured the inhabitants and sold them into slavery.

The Turks ruled Crete until 1898, when they finally left it. Spinalonga was turned into a leper colony in 1904 and remained so until 1957. Hundreds of leprosy patients have lived and been treated here for years. In the beginning, there was no infrastructure, the sick were brought here and died in great suffering. Over time, houses were built in which the milder patients were accommodated, while the more severe patients were accommodated in the hospital, where doctors and nurses took care of them. In this way, the life of the sick improved significantly. Initially, sick people were brought to the island from Crete, and later from all over Greece. During the occupation during the Second World War, Italian and German soldiers did not even dare to enter the island. The picture shows the former building of the hospital for lepers.

Everyone who came to and left the island on business had to pass through the disinfection zone, which was carried out in this room. Even a container for disinfection was preserved.

Dead patients were buried on one of the bastions. Their tombstones have been preserved.

The picture shows the arrival of the patients on the island. The island was  guarded, making sure that no one escaped from the island.

The main gate was called the Gate of Hell, because through it lepers entered the island without return.

Epaminondas Remountakis is one of the survivors of the leper colony. He came to the island as a young man and spent over 20 years there, until the colony was closed in 1957. He continued his treatment in a hospital in Athens. He is the founder of an association that made it possible to improve living conditions in the colony, bringing in doctors, building residential buildings, shops, and even cinemas and theatres. The colony also got electricity and living conditions became better than on the mainland, where poverty and deprivation were taking over.

It was only in the late 40s that Promin – a drug treating leprosy – was discovered. The disease was eradicated in 1957 and the colony ceased to operate. The last inhabitant left the island in the 60s. The island is uninhabited today.

In the bay of Elounda there is a town of the same name. The bay, including Spinalonga, has been inhabited since ancient times.

Ancient city of Olous

An ancient city of Olous existed at one point in the bay. It is interesting that most of the city is under water today.

Only in certain places can one see that parts of the former walls protrude above the water.

Fragments of pottery can be found at the bottom of the sea, between the walls of ancient Olous.

Although the sunken city may be thought to be Atlantis itself, Olous is known to have existed until the 8th century AD, when it was probably submerged by an earthquake.

The bay is rich in animal life.

A very unusual fish. It camouflages well in the water and disappears in an instant.

Common two – banded seabream or Diplodus vulgaris, unlike seabream, has 2 black rings: one on the tail and the other behind the head.

At first glance, one would think that it is yellow seaweed, but it is actually an animal. The sea anemone belongs to the anemone family, like jellyfish and corals. It can sting unwary divers with its yellow tentacles. It burns like hell! Do not wash the burned area with fresh water. They are quite similar to corals and the only difference between them is that they do not have a skeleton. They are mostly sessile (immobile) organisms, with the fact that they partially have the ability to slide on the ground and even swim.