SKIATHOS

Historical flashback

Skiathos, the smaragdine island of Sporades , is considered one from most beautiful islands of the Aegean . Dense forests cover the mountains of the island, while his exotic beaches have acquired world fame. The brilliantly built capital of the island (Skiathos), shall amaze you at first sight. The amphitheatric architecture graces the town with incomparable glamour. Its white houses with red tiles, supplement the setting of an impressive picture. Skiathos is an island with important and long history. It is inhabited since the early ancient centuries and it always plaid a leading role in processes that determined the destinies of Greek cities and islands. It faced many conquerors, but kept its Greek identity.

Since ancient centuries until today the island conserved the same name. Some people think that this name comes form the shadow of Athos (the saint mountain of Orthodoxy ), by which the island is covered. But most probably this explanation corresponds to a popular etymology because the only influence Athos Mountain had in the island was that the Skiatho people had continuous communication with the Holy Mountain and the traditions of Church at the difficult years of Ottoman domination. The explanation accepted also by the novelist Alexandros Papadiamantis with regard to the name of island is the shade created by the many forests which cover it since old times.

According to the historical sources, the first residents of Skiathos are reported the Pelasgians followed by the Kares, Cretes, the Mycenaenan and the Halkides from neighbouring Evia.

During the 8 th BC, when residents of Chalkida were at the island, an important era started for Skiathos. Chalkidis worked with the cultivation of olives and vineyards and made Skiathos known all around the ancient world.
During Persian wars Skiathos fought at the side of Athens .
In 478 BC Skiathos adjusted to the First Athenaeum Coalition and in 378 BC made an ally with Athens once again, the Second Athenaeum Coalition. At that time the island flourished financially. In fact it had its own copper coins.
In 146 BC Skiathos came to Roman hands.
We have no information for the life in the island during the first Byzantine period.
In 325 BC people Christianized and built the first church of Skiathos , Trinity during 530.
During Byzantine times the island belonged to Thessaly as all Sporades islands.
In 1204, Venetians rule Aegean islands. In 1207 Venetian Brothers Gyzi conquer the island. They built the famous Bourtzi Castle , right on the small peninsula separating the island’s port. Skiathos stayed under the Venetian rule until 1538, when after a 6-day siege, the Turkish Barbarosa took it in his hands. At that time the island suffered a lot.
Residents of Skiathos were ready for the Revolution of 1821. They offered ships to the war and participated in many battles. Freedom came in 1830 when all Sporades islands adjusted to Greece .
At the same period people – who had left and went to Castro due to pirate invasions – started to return and rebuilt the town around the port. So the town started developing again and took its current feature.

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Map of Skiathos