Santorini

*(Greek: Thera)*

**Santorini** is an island in the southern Aegean Sea. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago, which bears the same name and is the remains of an ancient caldera. It is the southernmost member of the Cyclades, with an area of 73 km2 / 28 mi2 and a population of 15,550 (2011).

The island was the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history: the Minoan Eruption, which occurred 3,600 years ago, at the height of the Minoan civilisation in 1500 BCE. The eruption left a massive caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of metres deep. It is the most active volcanic area in the South Aegean Volcanic Arch. Volcanism on Santorini began around 2 million years ago, with the extrusion of dacitic magma from vents around Akrotiri.

## Brief History

**Santorini** is the homeland of the ancient Minoan Civilisation, which thrived from 3000 - 2000 BCE. At the time, it was known as Akrotiri, and was one of the Aegean's major ports, with recovered objects from Krete, Anatolia, Cyprus, Syria, and Egypt. In 1967, archaeological excavation began on Santorini, revealing multi-level buildings, streets, and squares entombed in solidified ash from the Minoan Eruption. The town had a sophisticated drainage system. The hot and cold running water and restroom facilities are the oldest in the world. The origin of this hot water was probably geothermic.

At the end of the Bronze Age, Phoenicians built a settlement on Santorini. Herodotus writes that the isle was called Callista, and was inhabited by this civilisation for eight generations. In the 9th century BCE, Dorians founded their capital on Santorini, naming the city and the island after their leader, Theras. In the 5th century BCE, Santorini did not join the Delian League, and sided with Sparta during the Peloponnesian War. Athens controlled the island during the war, but lost it again after the Battle of Aegospotami. During this time, the island was a major naval base for Ptolemaic Egypt.

Santorini was conquered by the Romans, and when the Empire was divided, it passed to the Byzantines.

The name "Santorini" first appears in 1153 - 1154 CE, in the world of a Muslim geographer who denoted the island as "Santurin," after its patron saint, Irene. From the 15th century on, it was ruled by the Republic of Venice, and was briefly captured by the Russians during the Russo-Turkish war of 1768 - 1774. In the last years of Ottoman rule, the majority of residents were farmers and seafarers who exported their abundant produce. In 1821, it had 13,235 inhabitants. Santorini became a part of the independent Kingdom of Greece in 1832.

During WWII, Santorini was occupied by Italian forces in 1941, and Germans in 1943. In 1947, the Union of Santorini Cooperatives was established to process, export, and promote the island's agricultural products--particularly its wine. The island's tourism began in the early 1950's, with wealthy tourists on Aegean yacht cruises. The island's children would present arriving passengers with flowers and bid them farewell by lighting small lanterns along the steps from Fira down to the port. In 1956, a 7.5 - 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck 30 km south of Amorgos, which was responsible for a great deal of damage in Santorini and a 2 - 3 metre tsunami. The earthquake killed 53 people, and injured 100 more. 35% of the houses on the island collapse, and 45% suffered minor to major damage. In Oia, parts of the ground collapsed into the sea. The damage reduced the population to extreme poverty and caused many to migrate to Athens.

In recent years, Santorini has been ranked the world's top island by many magazines and travel sites, with an estimated 2 million tourists visiting annually.

## Canon Residents

* Kassandra Selene (formerly)
* René Picardi (formerly)