Leprosy Colony
At the beginning of the 20th century, after the Cretan state had been detached from the Ottoman Empire the island became a leper colony. During that time the former inhabitants left the island. After the unification of Crete with Greece in 1913, people suffering from leprosy were also brought here from the mainland. In the 1950s, thanks to medical advances, some people were able to leave Spinalonga cured of leprosy and the colony was abandoned.