Spinalonga served as a Venetian fortress and Ottoman settlement before becoming a leprosy colony, feature says
The small islet of Spinalonga, off Plaka and near Elounda in Lasithi, is widely known for the leprosy colony that operated there in the 20th century, but its history stretches back centuries earlier, according to a feature. Long before people with leprosy were confined there, the islet had already passed through periods of settlement, fortification and trade, the report says.
The islet’s position at the entrance to the natural harbor of Elounda made it strategically valuable for controlling the surrounding sea area, the feature notes.
Strategic importance since antiquity
According to the report, Spinalonga’s history is linked to ancient Olous, a city that developed in the area of present-day Elounda. The islet’s location allowed control of the entrance to the bay and protection of maritime activity, and archaeological and historical evidence connects the area with earlier fortification works. Its significance was tied not only to defense but also to shipping and trade contacts, the feature states.
The Venetian era and the building of the fortress
During the period of Venetian rule, Crete was a key part of Venice’s possessions in the eastern Mediterranean, and Venetian authorities sought to protect the island’s harbors, trade routes and coastal installations, according to the feature. Construction of the fortress at Spinalonga began in 1579, with bastions, strong walls and gun positions designed to meet the military requirements of an era when artillery had significantly changed defensive engineering, the report says.
The islet occupied a strategic position for controlling the bay of Elounda, and the area also held economic importance because of trade activity and salt pans, according to the feature. The fortress allowed Venice to protect maritime access and strengthen its presence in eastern Crete as part of a wider network of fortifications.
A fortress that outlasted the fall of Candia
One notable historical detail, the feature says, is that Spinalonga did not pass to the Ottomans immediately after the capture of Candia. In 1669, following a prolonged siege of Candia, the city surrendered to Ottoman forces, but Spinalonga remained under Venetian control for several more decades, continuing to serve as a forward Venetian position in the region. Its formal surrender to the Ottomans took place in 1715, according to the report.
A lesser-known Ottoman period
After the Ottoman capture, Spinalonga entered a different historical phase, the feature says. A settlement gradually developed within and around the fortifications, and the islet was no longer solely a military installation. People lived there with their families, kept shops and took part in trade and shipping activity. According to data cited from the Ephorate of Antiquities of Lasithi, the settlement grew substantially during the 19th century, both in population and economic activity.
A settlement of more than 1,000 residents
The image of Spinalonga as an isolated, deserted place does not reflect every period of its history, the report notes. During the 19th century, the population of the Ottoman-era settlement at times exceeded 1,000 residents, who worked mainly in trade, shipping and other occupations serving the local economy. The islet contained homes, shops, storerooms and spaces for social life, the feature says, indicating that Spinalonga was once a small, living community rather than merely an isolated outpost.
Daily life in the settlement was shaped by limited available space and a close relationship with the sea, according to the report. Trade and boat traffic connected residents with the opposite shore and other areas, and the islet’s economic activity extended beyond the bay of Elounda, maintaining ties with wider trade networks despite its small size.
Change after the end of Ottoman rule
The late 19th century brought major political and social change to Crete, the feature states. With the departure of Ottoman administration and the establishment of the Cretan State, conditions on Spinalonga also changed, and the islet’s Muslim population declined significantly. According to the report, this period set the stage for a new and particularly difficult chapter in the islet’s history.
How Spinalonga became a leprosy colony
In 1903, the Cretan State decided to establish a leprosy colony on Spinalonga and to mandate the confinement there of people suffering from leprosy, the feature says. The last residents of the earlier settlement were forced to leave, and the first patients were transferred to the islet in October 1904. This marked the beginning of the period most associated with Spinalonga in modern historical memory. The leprosy colony operated until 1957, when the last patients were moved to other care facilities, according to the report.
Traces of several historical identities
Today, the buildings and fortifications on Spinalonga reflect its different historical periods, the feature notes. The Venetian walls recall the islet’s military significance, the remains of the Ottoman-era settlement point to a period of daily life and trade, and the buildings of the former leprosy colony preserve the memory of the people who were forced to live there in isolation, facing illness and social exclusion.
Spinalonga is not only the island of the leprosy colony, the feature concludes, but a site where different cultures, powers and human histories intersected, leaving traces that remain visible today. Visitors interested in the islet’s layered past can explore related experiences in Crete or learn more about other historic sites through places in Crete.
