Spetses is one of the best- known greek islands with a lots of tourists visiting every year!
So let’s find out some trivia and facts about this Greek island!
- Spetses is an affluent island and a municipality in the Islands regional unit, Attica, Greece
- It is sometimes included as one of the Saronic Islands
- Until 1948, it was part of the old prefecture of Argolidocorinthia
- Which is now split into Argolis and Corinthia
- In ancient times, it was known as Pityoussa, and later as Petses
- The island is now an independent municipality
- With no internal boundaries within the municipality
- The town of Spetses is the only large settlement on the island
- The other settlements on the island are Moní Agíon Pánton (pop. 0), Ligonéri (4), Ágioi Anárgyroi (18), Kouzoúnos (4)
- Also part of the Municipality of Spetses are the islands of Spetsopoula, Falkonera, and Velopoula
- The municipality has an area of 27.121 km2
- An unusual aspect of Spetses is that no private automobiles are allowed within the town limits
- The most common modes of transport are walking, horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles
- Only taxis and delivery vehicles are allowed in the downtown area
- Ferries and high-speed hydrofoils arrive regularly from Piraeus
- Trails encircle the island and total about 25 to 30 km
- Beaches closest to the town of Spetses include: Agios Mamas in the center of town and Kaíki beach
- Both of which offer water-sports
- Public buses serve beaches further outside town
- Including Zogeria, Agioi Anargiroi, and Agia Paraskevi
- Spetses was the basis for the island of Phraxos in John Fowles’ 1965 novel The Magus
- Many locations described in the book actually existed
- Including the “Lord Byron School” (the private Anargyrios & Korgialenios School of Spetses) and the “Villa Bourani” (located on the south side of the island above a popular public beach)
- Both the school and villa still exist
- Although the house is under private ownership
- On 8 September (O.S.) 1822 the Ottoman fleet, coming from Monemvasia, endeavoured to supply the town of Nafplion
- Which was at the time besieged by Greek forces since the spring of 1821
- Sailing between Trikeri and Spetsopoula, the Turkish force confronted the combined fleets of the three nautical islands
- Spetses, Hydra and Psara
- The admiral of the Greek fleet, Andreas Miaoulis, gave orders to withdraw to the Gulf of Argolis
- In order to outmanoeuvre the more numerous and powerful Ottoman fleet
- According to general descriptions, the battle consisted in distant and ineffectual cannonade between the two fleets
- An Algerian brig was damaged by fire
- Having boarded by mistake a Greek fireship
- According to Spetsiot local historian Anastasios Orlandos, however, the retreat of the Ottoman fleet was the result of an attack by the fireship of Kosmas Barbatsis (1792–1887) against the Ottoman flagship
- The latter fled to avoid it, followed by the other Ottoman ships
- The besieged castles of Nafplion could not be relieved
- And fell to the Greeks two and a half months later
- Each year, the second weekend of September is dedicated to celebratory events aimed at commemorating the events of the battle of Sept. 8, 1822
- In combination with the feast of the chapel of Panagiá Armáta (the Madonna-in-arms), near the lighthouse
- The events culminate with a fictionalized re-enactment of the battle
- Including the torching of the Turkish flagship in the harbour
- An incident not mentioned in historical depictions of the battle
- Spetses is one of nine European cities that participates in the European Network of Historical Reconstructions
- The others are Brussels, Belgium, Dublin and Cork, Ireland, Bailen, Spain, Slavkov, Czech Republic, Tewkesbury, UK, and Hydra and Spetses in Greece
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