• Santorini is the southernmost island of Cyclades and is located between Ios and Anafi.
• It is 128 nautical miles away from the port of Piraeus and 63 nautical miles away from Crete.
• Its size is 76 square km and the length of its shores is 69 km. The perimeter is approximately 36 nautical miles.
• Thera, Therassia, Aspronisi and the volcanoes (Palaia Kameni and Nea Kameni where the crater of the volcano exists) form the cluster of islands which is called Santorini.
• It is included, together with Methana, Nisiros and Milos, in the most active of volcanoes in Greece.
• The three main islands form a”ring” around the Caldera, the bay which was created when the central part of ancient Strongyli sank to the seabed. Its dimensions are 8×5 km and its depth is as low as 370 m.
• The great crater formed by the volcanic eruption of around 1600 BC, adds to its distinct atmosphere: settlements are built on the edge of the crater’s inner walls and not on the sea level, as in other islands. In addition, Santorini is one of the few places worldwide where architectural complexes of underground rock-hewn houses still survive inside the volcanic soil.
• The Caldera and the whole cluster of the Santorini islands have been characterized as an area of outstanding natural beauty.
• The name Thera is taken after the legendary settler Theras of Sparta, who settled in the island and founded the homonymous town in Mesa Vouno approximately the 10th century B.C.
• The name Santorini was given in 1153 by the Venetians and is referred to Arab geographer Edrisi. It is a pronunciation of both words Santa and Irene (Saint Irene), taken after either from the name of the church in the valley of Therassia, or from the name of the early Christian basilica in Perissa, which is not preserved.
• The main island, Thera, has a shape of a half moon and is located in the easternmost position of the cluster. The west side consists of the walls of the Caldera which preserve the picture of its geological history and illustrate the different phases of the volcanic activity.
• There are 13 villages in Thera and 3 villages in Therassia.
• The capital of the island is Fira. The name derived from corruption of the word Thera, which is the official one.

INFO

Since 1980, thousands of couples from all over the world have chosen Oia and other Santorini villages for their wedding, or honeymoon trip. It is estimated that more than 500 ceremonies take place each year. Orthodox weddings usually take place in churches overlooking the Caldera, such as the Fira Orthodox Cathedral, Aghios Minas, the Anastasi (Resurrection) church in Imerovigli, Aghios Georgios (Saint George) and Panagia Platsani (Virgin Mary) in Oia; Catholics choose the Fira Cathedral.

According to legend, Santorini emerged from the depths of the sea- opinion justified by the timeless activity of the undersea volcano and the geological topography of the island.
The first human remains, dating back to the Stone Age, show that the island has been inhabited since the prehistoric times. There is some evidence of life in the early Bronze Age, in the mid-3rd millennium BC, during the second period of the early Cycladic civilization (2800-2100 BC). However, from the middle Bronze Age (1900-1600 BC), evidence becomes more abundant, showing great development.
In the area of Akrotiri (Promontory), there was a prehistoric settlement with a very important port. The great volcanic eruption in the late Bronze Age (ca.1600 BC) buried the settlement under 30 metres of ash.

Immigration was the element that mostly defined how the population evolved in Thera since the 13th century. Like other Cycladic islands it was the place where hundreds of emigrants form all parts of Europe and Greece took refuge. After the fall of Constantinople to the Latins in AD 1204 and the creation of the Duchy of the Archipelago in AD 1207 the Cyclades were overwhelmed by swarms of emigrants who, in their majority but not exclusively, were Venetians.
At the same time and probably a bit later, individuals and families from other European countries such as Spain, Portugal and France made the same move. Those who came from Byzantine territories made up a second large group and they settled down in Santorini and Crete. The third migratory wave consisted of those who came from other Greek parts such as the Peloponnese, the Ionian islands, the Aegean islands, Asia Minor etc. They emigrated to Santorini after the first quarter of the 19th century.
As Nicholaos Aliprantis writes …”all these immigrants, Othodox, Catholic, Byzantine, Latin, Greek were assimilated to the native element and presented a homogenous body, a wondrous medley whose fate and life was common…”.
On the other hand many families had to flee after pirate attacks or natural disasters, a fact which influenced the population development. Their destination was mainly Crete where the Venetians could provide greater security.
In the modern Greek state the island belonged to the prefecture of Thera which also included the islands of Therassia, Amorgos, Anafi, Donousa, Herakleia, Ios, Koufonissia, Shinoussa. In the last two centuries Santorini presented a smooth development of the population, so she had the greater increase in 1851, presenting a slump in 1920 which became more intense between 1951 -1961, when the earthquake forced people to desert the place.

The two doctrines
The residents of Santorini were Christians but belonged in two different doctrines: Orthodox and Roman Catholic. Catholics came from Venetian nobles who ruled the island for centuries. The need for peaceful coexistence of the two doctrines, lead to the joint use of several churches with different altars. The church of Panagia Episkopi had been the “bone of contention” for years.
The poor peasants were Greek Orthodox and were obliged to rent and cultivate the land for the wealthy outlandish Catholic landowners. Catholic aristocracy and Orthodox church owned the best pieces of land.
The feudal system had been applied in the farming of the land and by contract the working peasants worked and got paid by keeping half of the crop. Peasants worked for specific landowners and acquired rights to the exploitation of their land, which they legated to the next generation. In the beggining of the 20th century the situation started to change and the peasants acquired vineyards and properties.
Basic entertainment for the residents were the “veggeres” (gatherings in houses). The Santorinians were interested mainly about their family and village. Their subconscious need was to be united, so as to survive nature’s blows, the financial tightness and the lack of telecommunications. In fact, all jobs were hand-operated, or assisted by animals and winds. Until the years following the 1956 earthquake, in the night they used bulbs, lanterns and lamps. Towards the end of the 1950’s, electricity brought on the island, helped growth.

Tomato is one of the most characteristic products of Santorini. The tomato pulp production together with the one of the wine were the basis of the island’s economy from 1925 till the early 1970’s. Initially the tomato pulp production took place in family manufactures. Later on, the tomato factories were built, which are a very interesting sample of industrial architecture of the time. Some of them in Monolithos, Vlychada and in AVIS beach have been preserved in pristine condition.
The first one had been built between 1925-1926 in Monolithos by D. Nomikos (who took ownership after the others had retired), D. Manoudakis and K. Nomikos. Their logo was a rhombus and the installations are preserved untill present day. Next the factories of Emmanuel and Mina Karamoleggos and the AVIS’s were built in the beach of Vothonas in approximatelly 1935-1936, the later’s installations also to have been preserved until present day. During the Occupation the factories of Stelios Mendrinos (STELLA) in Exomiti, E. Kanakaris in Exo Gialos, Georgios D. Nomikos and S. Prekas in Vlychada had also been built. During the same time, the alcohol factory of Gr. Koutsogiannopoulos built in 1930 in Gialos port below Fira had been converted to a tomato pulp factory. The Santo cannery of Theran Products’ Union of Santorini had been built in the 1950’s in Monolithos.

INFO

• The tomato harvesting started just after the 25th of June and ended in mid August. Farmers transported the tomatos to the factories in 48 kg baskets.
• Santo Wines, the Union of the Santorinian Producers sells tomato cans and other local products, as well as other private individuals.
• The factory consisted of the sorting and processing room, the vacuum room, the condensation room and the filling room. There were also warehouses, engine room, a weighing yard and a large yard. Large factories additionally had a residence.

The image of Santorini in 1650-1850 is colored by the narrations of the era’s foreign travelers*.

Francois Richard
The first narration is of French priest Francois Richard, who together with the Jesuit monks settled in the island in the second half of the 17th century. He gives such information as “…the island’s resources are poor. It does not produce any cereals for its residents to feed except barley and is not irrigated by any streams nor water springs. If the rain doesn’t fill the cisterns, people die from thirst or drink brackish water from some water wells near the sea.Cisterns are carved in solid ground and then are whitewashed. But most of the villages’ houses or farmhouses even churches and chapels are underground. Therefore, many families have over their houses’ roofs the fields, the vineyards and the gardens they cultivate. The island’s poverty has made holidays nonexistent.
Everyone works, even children, and women most of all because they never stop. They weave cotton fabrics but also engage in farming activities. The only thing I don’t like about them is their dress.

It makes you think that they are descendants of the ancient Vakchides who when they did their orgies used to run in the mountains and the valleys having naked arms and wearing short clothes. Their dress is so short that exceeds their knees only by a little… Because they do not consider having their chest uncovered to be inappropriate they also do not hesitate to lift their sleeves and let their arms show when working. The good thing is though that this does not happen with cunning in mind…”

G.A. Olivier
Interesting facts for Santorini, its residents and their occupations are given by the emissary of the French Government, G. A. Olivier in his book in approximately 1800:

“The Santorinians are industrious, virtuous and abstemious… The best product of Santorini is its wine known as vino santo. Its taste is becoming better with time and its production is exported almost in full to Russia. The winemakers have carved huge domed «kanaves» within the white pumice. The domed roof seems very solid despite the material being soft”.

Francesco Piacenza
The Italian geographer described in detail the topography of Santorini and its Kastelia in his book published in 1688. He wrote for the Kasteli of Skaros:

“…Built on top of the ruins of an ancient fortified city it is today the capital of the whole island. Being uphill and built high up on the most isolated and steep place, one can only go up with a great effort and with the escort of experienced drivers who climb using their hands and feet (!)… The houses of this Kasteli are no more than 150. It is decorated with a grand rock rising on top of it towards the north. This rock is a powerful well preserved stronghold, that is being constantly maintained so as not tear down on the houses and people beneath it and cause a great catastrophe…”.

V. Fontanier
V. Fontainer, another official visitor who came on the island in 1828 found Santorini in a state of prosperity.:

“… Santorini is an example of people’s skill. This island produces nothing else except wine however no other place in the Archipelagos has in such abundance all the things one needs to live well. No other place is so advanced and so close to Europe than Santorini…”.