Name
Skopelos owes its name to the large number of reefs along its
coasts (“Skopelos” is the Greek word for reef). The name Skopelos was
first mentioned in the 2nd century A.D. and has since then replaced the
island’s previous name, which was “Peparithos”. Peparithos was one of
the two sons of Dionysus and Ariadne and the grandson of Minoas, the
ancient king of Crete. Although Peparithos’ brother, Stafylos, arrived
first at the island, it was named after Peparithos. However, some say
that it was Peparithos who arrived first on the island.
Prehistoric times
There are signs of inhabitance of Skopelos in the Neolithic
Period, in the 3rd millennium B.C. and more specifically between 2.800
and 2.000 B.C. when inhabitants from Asia Minor arrived to the Island.
Around 1.800 B.C. Prince Stafylos arrived at the homonymous bay and the
whole island was colonized by Cretans. At Stafylos archaeologists
discovered the royal grave including pots, jewels and a sword with a
golden handhold, exhibited today at the Archaeological Museum of Athens.
Ancient Times
During the 8th century B.C. Skopelos was under the control or
the city-state Halkida. Later, it was conquered by the Athenians, the
Macedonians (338 - 146 b.C.) and the Romans in 27 B.C. The major cities
in the Ancient Times were Stafylos, Panormos, Knossos which is called
Glossa today, and Selinounda, which is called Loutraki. Throughout the
Ancient Times, Skopelos was called Peparithos and was renowned for its
wine. The ancient writer Sophocles mentions a wine merchant who lost his
way in Peparithos in his play “Philoctitis”.
Roman & Byzantine Times
During the Roman (27 B.C.-330 A.D.) and Byzantine Times (330
B.C. - 204 A.D.), Skopelos was declining. Specifically during the
Byzantine Times, Skopelos was an island of exile. In the 4th century
A.D., the island’s bishop Riginos was decapitated after being tortured
in order to deny his faith in Jesus Christ, which of course he never
did. Some time later he was recognized as a Saint by the Greek Orthodox
Church. Until today, the inhabitants of Skopelos honor Saint Riginos by
naming their children after him.
Venetian Times
From 1204 to 1453, Skopelos belonged to the Ghisi family, a
family of aristocrats from Venice. In 1453, the inhabitants of Skopelos
decided to “offer” the island to the Venetians, in order to avoid the
dominance of the Ottomans. Venetians were the island’s owners until 1538
A.D., when the victory of the notorious Algerian pirate Barbarossa led
to the beginning of the Ottomans’ occupation.
The Ottoman Period
The Ottoman occupation was rather mild, despite the fact
that when the Ottomans arrived at Skopelos in 1538 under the leadership
of Barbarossa, they killed many inhabitants and destroyed a part of the
island. Skopelos was self-governed and had two main obligations: to pay
taxes to the Ottoman Empire and to send 30 sailors each year to serve
the Ottoman navy. What is impressive is that not even one person of
Ottoman origin ever lived in Skopelos during this period.
Joining Greece
Around 1750 B.C., many “kleftes” and “armatoloi” (supporters
of the idea of freedom for Greece, the resistance party of the period)
from Epirus and Thessalia came to Skopelos. Skopelos’ inhabitants
participated in the Greek revolution of 1821 by helping out whenever it
was necessary and by mainly providing ships built ιn the island’s
shipyards. In 1830, Skopelos became part of the First Hellenic Republic
under the London Protocol.
Recent history
During the 2nd World War, Skopelos was occupied by the
Italians (June 1941-September 1943) and then by the Germans (September
1943-October 1944). With the end of the War in 1944, Skopelos was free,
along with the rest of Greece. During the Greek Civil War, many
inhabitants left the island and migrated to the mainland and abroad.
Around 1980, Skopelos was considered as one of the most attractive
destinations in Greece, which led to the development of tourism and the
return of many old inhabitants to the island.
Skopelos
has a rich artistic culture and ceramic pottery, woodcarving and
weaving are included among the inhabitants’ activities. In addition,
Skopelos boasts one of the largest wooden shipbuilding industries in
modern Greece, which started to decline with the introduction of
steamships. Today, the art of wooden shipbuilding has disappeared but
local craftsmen still repair old wooden vessels.
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου