Spetses

Spetses

Spetses, the piney Pityousa of Strabo and Pausanias, the island of aromas – “isola di spezzie” – of the Venetians, with the idyllic beaches, small piney woods, naval tradition and rich history, is a majestic and cosmopolitan island. The heart of the island beats in Dapia, commercial centre of Spetses, with its square of Revolution, streets of intricate pebble mosaics and its neoclassical edifices, among which stand out the mansion of Sotirios Anargyros, benefactor of Spetses, and the mansion of Laskarina Bouboulina, the renowned lady captain (“kapetanissa”) of the Greek War of Independence. Take a walk at the medieval settlement Kastelli, which was burnt down by the Turks in 1770 in retaliation for the participation of the islanders in the so-called “Orlofika” revolution during the Russian-Turkish War. The whole history of the island is accumulated in the Museum of Spetses, which is housed in Hatzigiannis-Mexis mansion; its most remarkable exhibits are the pottery of the 3rd millennium B.C. and the impressive figureheads of the Spetsiot vessels.