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SKIATHOS HISTORY
Most people know that Skiathos is an island of unbeatable beauty, with pine-clad forests and stunning sandy beaches complemented by crystalline azure waters. What most people don’t know though, is its rich history; Skiathos has a long, turbulent timeline of chronicles and memoirs, dating back to the prehistoric and ancient times, continuing to the Classical, Byzantine and Venetian periods, and is one of the few islands in Greece that kept its name throughout the years.
It is not certain where the name comes from, but the predominant theory states that it was named from the Greek word for shadow “skia”, by its first inhabitants, the Pelasgians, who probably got inspired from the cooling shadow that its trees cast all over the island, and by the fact that it lies in the shadow of the high mountains of Pelion, on the mainland.
Throughout its tumultuous history, Skiathos was destined to fall under Cretan, Mycenaean, Persian, Athenian, Spartan, as well as Macedonian rule during the ancient times. Later on, the island and its inhabitants enjoyed relative freedom both under Roman and Byzantine periods, until the Venetian Gizi brothers occupied it in the 13th century, building a fortress, known as Bourtzi, on the peninsula near the harbor.
During Medieval times, Skiathos was under constant pirate raids, when in 1538, the Turks invaded. The Turkish rule was merciless, impoverishing Skiathians almost totally, bringing famine and misery. From the fort of Bourtzi, the Skiathians heroically repelled the Turks, and the island was finally freed in 1829. The last hardship Skiathians had to endure was during World War II, when the Germans invaded and started bombing the island, spreading terror to its people.
After the war, the economic and social life of the island developed rapidly, and it managed to flourish into one of the most favorite holiday destinations in Greece.
It is not certain where the name comes from, but the predominant theory states that it was named from the Greek word for shadow “skia”, by its first inhabitants, the Pelasgians, who probably got inspired from the cooling shadow that its trees cast all over the island, and by the fact that it lies in the shadow of the high mountains of Pelion, on the mainland.
Throughout its tumultuous history, Skiathos was destined to fall under Cretan, Mycenaean, Persian, Athenian, Spartan, as well as Macedonian rule during the ancient times. Later on, the island and its inhabitants enjoyed relative freedom both under Roman and Byzantine periods, until the Venetian Gizi brothers occupied it in the 13th century, building a fortress, known as Bourtzi, on the peninsula near the harbor.
During Medieval times, Skiathos was under constant pirate raids, when in 1538, the Turks invaded. The Turkish rule was merciless, impoverishing Skiathians almost totally, bringing famine and misery. From the fort of Bourtzi, the Skiathians heroically repelled the Turks, and the island was finally freed in 1829. The last hardship Skiathians had to endure was during World War II, when the Germans invaded and started bombing the island, spreading terror to its people.
After the war, the economic and social life of the island developed rapidly, and it managed to flourish into one of the most favorite holiday destinations in Greece.
