According to findings on the countryside and the sea bottom around the island, the history of Schinoussa started in the ancient times. This is shown by the pottery pieces, the small statues and the various tools that have been excavated.
In the Byzantine times, the island flourished because of trade and many Byzantine churches were built. Ruins of these churches can today be seen around Schinoussa. |
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The island is first mentioned in some old documents kept in the Monastery of Hozoviotissa, Amorgos, and it is believed that it took its name from a Venetian administrator.
All over its history, Schinoussa faced an important problem: it was threatened by the pirates that dominated the Aegean till the 19th century.
That is why the inhabitants were many times made to abandon their island, which was used by the pirates as a shelter and lair. |
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When piracy was confronted by the Greek navy in the end of the 19th century, residents of neighbouring Amorgos island moved to Schinoussa to shettle. The island flourished for a short time due to agriculture, fishing and trade, but then it started to decline.
In the 1950s and the 1960s, many inhabitants immigrated to Athens or abroad. Today, Schinoussa has about 200 inhabitants that deal mostly with fishing and agriculture. |
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