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Astipalea (or Astypalea or Astypalaia, Greek: Αστυπάλαια; Italian: Stampalia ) is a Greek island with 1.238 residents (2001 Census). It belongs to the Dodecanese, an island group of twelve major islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea. The Island is 18 Km. long, 13 Km. wide at the most, and covers an area of 99 Km. It is 43 km far from Nisyros .Astipalea consists of two large rocky masses, united in the centre by an isthmus. Due to its shape it is called butterfly island.It is surrounded by various small islands.
The coasts of Astypalea are rocky with many small pebble-strewn beaches. A small band of land of roughly 10 kilometres, almost separates the island in two sections. The capital and main harbour of the island is Astypalea or Hora (or Chora), as it is called by the locals. Astypalea has ferry connections with Piraeus and the other islands of the Dodecanese and flight connections with Athens.
Astipalaia, Greece Satellite images
The center is Chóra (Astipalaia) with the harbour Skála. Close to Chora is a Venetian Castle. Outside the Castle fortification is the Church Panagia Portaitissa considered as one of the most beautiful churches of the Dodecanese
History Astypalaia was originally inhabited by Carians, and afterwards colonised from Megara and its constitution and buildings are known from numerous inscriptions . In 105 BC,as we learn from an inscription, the Romans concluded an alliance with the islanders, a distinction probably granted on account of their excellent harbours and their central position in the Aegean. The Roman emperors recognized it as a free state. The favourite hero of the island was an athlete, named Cleomedes, who was said to have met with many romantic adventures. Hegesander related that a couple of hares having been brought into Astypalaia from Anaphe, the island became so overrun with them that the inhabitants were obliged to consult the Delphic oracle, which gave them the profound advice to hunt them down with dogs (Athen. ix.). This tale is a counterpart to the one about the brace of partridges introduced from Astypalaia into Anaphe Pliny (viii. 59) says that the muscles of Astypalaia were very celebrated.During the Middle Ages it belonged to the Byzantines until 1207, when - in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade - it became fee of the Querini, a noble Venetian family, until 1522. The Querini built a castle that is still in place and added the name of the island to their family name, that became Querini Stampalia. Astypalea became Turkish in 1522, and the Ottomans kept it until 1912, with only two interruptions: from 1648 until 1668, during the War of Crete, it was occupied by Venice, and from 1821 to 1828 it joined the insurgents during the Greek War of Independence. Occupied again by the Ottomans in 1828, on April 12th, 1912, (during the War of Libya) a detachment of the Regia Marina landed on Astypalea, which became so the first island of the Dodecanese to be occupied by Italy. From there the Italians, on the night between 3rd and 4th of May, landed on Rhodes [2]. The island remained under Italian governance until WWII. In 1947, together with the whole Dodecanese, it joined Greece.
In the village Maltisána there are remains of a Roman bath with well preserved Mosaics.
References Bertarelli, L.V. (1929). Guida d'Italia, Vol. XVII. Consociazione Turistica Italiana, Milano.
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