Spinalonga island and castle, former leper colony, in Mirabello bay, Lasithi prefecture, Crete, Greece
Night view of Spinalonga castle. It is located on a small island at the entrance of Mirambello Gulf, very close to the famous resort of Elounda . Its construction started in 1579. After the Turkish occupation of Crete, in 1669, Spinalonga was one of the very few castles of Crete (the others were those of Gramvoussa and Souda) that remained under Venetian Rule for about half a century more. The islet and the castle, were finally occupied by the Turks in 1711. When the last Turks left the island in 1903, the islet and the castle were converted to a Leper Colony, till 1957, and it was one of the last leper colonies in Europe. The last inhabitant, a priest, left the island in 1962. He had stayed there because according to the Tradition of the Greek Orthodox church, a buried person has to be commemorated 40 days, 6 months, 1, 3 and 5 years after their death. The history of the leper colony of Spinalonga, became widely known with "The island", a novel by Victoria Hislop.
Size: 5213px × 3415px
Location: Spinalonga, Lasithi prefecture, Crete, Greece
Photo credit: © Hercules Milas / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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