Excerpts from the Best Guide to Andros

Published by Axon Publications, Maroussi, 2000

 Geography and Climate

Superbly endowed by nature, Andros is a place of dramatic contrasts. The stark heather-covered hills in the north-west have been compared to the Scottish highlands; the lush, cypress-speared greenery around Hora could have been lifted from the Italian Riviera. There are south sea island beaches and wild wave-battered cliffs, but perhaps its most outstanding feature is its streams. Andros is the only island in the Cyclades that bottles mineral water for “export”.

 One could almost say that Andros has a split personality. Its eastern half is tranquil, very green and determinedly undeveloped. With Hora as its centre, the old Andriots, many of them shipowners or sea captains, guard their privacy and their elegant centuries-old mansions zealously. The west coast, from the natural harbour of Gavrio south to the former fishing port of Batsi and beyond, however, is rapidly becoming a resort area. The southern portion is different from either, having few splendid beaches but a wealth of delightful villages and rugged hillsides untouched by modern intrusions.

Four mountain ridges -- Agii Saranda (718 m), Kouvara which boasts the highest peak, Petalos (1,000 m), Yerakones (760 m) and Rahi (685 m) -- divide Andros into five districts. Deep ravines slice through slopes, watering fertile valleys where lemon and other citrus trees flourish, along with figs, almonds, olives and mulberries. Higher up are plane trees, walnuts, chestnuts, eucalyptus and others.

 The climate is defined by the brisk northerly winds, which cool off the island in summer and can even bring snow in winter. Generally, though, it is typically Mediterranean, sunny and dry for most of the year.

 The Andriots

Andros is first and foremost an island of seafarers. It has more ships listed in the Greek registry than anywhere else but Piraeus. Most of the rest of the population work the land or are involved directly or indirectly with tourism and construction.

 After the invention of the steam engine, the Andriots’ skill at adopting the new technology in 1898 made the island’s merchant navy around the turn of the century the largest in Greece and one of the largest in the world. The wealth accumulated at the time is still apparent in the mansions and public buildings in and around Hora, most of them more discreet than showy.

 The first setbacks to its supremacy occurred during World War I, when dozens of ships were torpedoed by the enemy or otherwise disposed of by their owners. The Second World War delivered a heavier blow, when in 1943 the Luftwaffe bombed the port of Andros for two days running, decimating the merchant fleet anchored there. Despite the revival of shipping after the war, Andros did not manage to recover its preeminence.

 Many of the island’s shipping dynasties, such as the Goulandris and Embiricos families, are famous for their generous donations and cultural activities both in Andros and in Athens. Their activities do not go unmentioned in the society pages of London, Paris and New York, either.

 HISTORY

 Prehistory

The earliest settlers on Andros were Carians, Phoenicians and Egyptians, followed by Minoan Cretans. Later arrivals included Pelasgians and Ionians (1000 BC).

Around 700 BC Paleopoli became the centre of life on Andros, and continued as such for hundreds of years.

 Classical Period

Like the other Cyclades, Andros was conquered by Xerxes and forced to send troops against the Greeks. After the defeat of the Persians, Athens admitted Andros to the First Athenian Confederacy in 476 BC but fined the islanders severely for their disloyalty. Perhaps this is why they switched allegiances once again during the Peloponnesian War and fought for Sparta.

 Hellenistic Period

The island became the apple of discord between Antigonos and Ptolemy, as they fought to succeed Alexander the Great.

 Roman Domination

In 200-199 BC, the Romans with the help of the Ptolemies besieged and conquered Andros. For the next several centuries, life on the island proceeded uneventfully, except for its brief occupation in 88 BC by Mithridates, king of the Pontus.

 Byzantine Period

Despite incessant pirate raids, the Andriots prospered in the two centuries before the Frankish takeover and even had its own prestigious school of philosophy.

 Franks and Venetians

Three years after the capture of Constantinople by the Frankish Crusaders in 1204, Andros fell to Marino Dandolo, vassal of the Duke of Naxos and lord of the Cyclades, Marco Sanudo. It was then that the most important fortifications were erected at Hora, Korthi Bay and north-west Andros. Marino Dandolo was succeeded by Geremia Ghisi, a harsh soldier of fortune and vassal of Angelos I Sanudo, Duke of Naxos.

As early as the 15th century Turks were staging raids on the island, but it remained Venetian until 1566, when it was surrendered without a fight.

 The Ottoman Occupation

At this time a wealthy Jewish banker, Iosif Nazis, a favourite of the Sultan, Selim III, was handed the governorship of the Duchy of Naxos, Andros included. With the peaceful transfer of ownership to the Ottoman Empire the island prospered, developing trade, manufacturing silk, acquiring its own administrative institutions and opening its own schools.

The Greek revolution against the Turks erupted in March 1821 on the mainland. Theofilos Kairis rallied the Andriots to the cause and many went off to fight in the Peloponnese and Evvia or to join the armadas of Hydra and Psara. A scholar-philosopher, Kairis also left his mark on Hora’s cultural life.

 Modern Era

Andros has been part of the newly formed Greek state since 1833. Until the early 20th century, its shipping brought it considerable wealth. Despite the damage suffered during both world wars, shipping today is still an important Andriot occupation, thanks to its numerous shipowners and its seamen who serve in the Greek merchant navy, one of the world’s largest.