No major historical event is known, until the 15th century period (after the fall of Constantinople), when the inhabitants of the island started to move inland and in the mountains to escape from the numerous pirate raids and from the Turks.
Around 1460, Hydra welcomed refugees from Albania, Epirus, Crete, Evia, Kythnos and Asia Minor, as well as refugees from the Peloponnese who were escaping the Russo-Turkish War during the 18th century.
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survivors moved away.
Things improved for the island in the 18th century, when it became powerful and prosperous because of its highly developed commercial fleet, trading with all of Greece and even abroad, with France, Spain and America.
The superiority of the island’s fleet reached its peak during the Napoleonic wars and with the creation of the Merchant Marine Academy, was able to monopolised the sea transport throughout the Mediterranean.
The inhabitants of Hydra were begining to fear attacks from the Ottoman fleet so they used their wealth to fortify the harbour with bastions of cannons,and used their fleet power during the Greek Revolution against the Turkish yoke; they participated in the Revolutionary secret alliance called “Philiki Etairia” (founded in 1814) and many wealthy sea-captains used their vessels as warships and helped the Revolution economically. |
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The superiority of the island’s ships and the heroism of its inhabitants was one of the most determining factors in the success of the revolution.
After World War II, the economy of Hydra went through a difficult phase; it recovered slightly with fishing and sponge fishing but declined again because of the restrictions of financial assistance to the sponge fishing enterprises from the Greek Agricultural bank.
In the fifties Hydra became a center for artistic creation some artists following the advice Miller wrote, discovered the charms of Hydra and used them for their movies (such as “Boy on a Dolphin” by Jean Negulesco with Sophia Loren and “Phaedra” by Mihalis Kakoyiannis with Anthony Perkins and Melina Merkouri). Hydra started to attract many famous artists and stars, becoming the cosmopolitan jewel of the Argo-Saronic Gulf and one of the most popular holiday destinations of Greece. |
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