WHITE AND BLUE HOUSES

We are all used to associating the typical white and blue houses with Greece but, it is appropriate to say it, we must not make all the grass a bundle! In fact, most of the white and blue houses are found only in the Cyclades (Santorini in the head, but also in Mykonos, Naxos, Paros etc.), less in the Dodecanese and in the Sporades. While these characteristic colors are almost absent in the houses of the Ionian islands and the continental part of Greece.

The origins of the Cycladic style

As we know the typical architecture of the Cyclades Islands, it is characterized by cubic houses painted in white and with blue roofs and domes. But how come of so many colors did you choose to use these? To unravel this age-old mystery, if we can define it that way, we have to look for some clues from the past.

Originally the houses of Santorini were painted in various colors, such as red, burgundy, ocher, brown, while the domes of the churches were already painted blue, so they did not undergo any changes. Blue is one of the colors historically most used in Greek architecture, because it recalls the sea and is a symbol of freedom, a value extremely dear to the inhabitants of Greece, who have been deprived of it for centuries.

Let's not forget that white and blue are the colors of the Greek flag and as it is historically known, Greece underwent over 400 years of Turkish domination, during which the population was unable to display its flag and to remember its colors, painted the white and blue houses.

In 1974 the military government in Greece determined that all new homes should be painted white. But some soft colors like pink and light ocher were allowed. Over the years this tradition became a custom and white and blue became the symbol of the Cyclades, and through them, of the whole of Greece.

The practical reasons

In the past, the houses were conceived in rather simple forms, due to the scarcity of materials available and painted white to disperse the strong heat that accumulated in the sunny Greek summers. The characteristic of white was already known to reflect the sun's rays more than other colors. The flat roof was the ideal choice to resist the typical Greek winds, first of all the Meltemi. Being territories with a mild climate, where it hardly ever snowed, it would have been useless to provide pitched roofs with classic tiles.

Another practical reason is the hygienic one: in the past it is well known that the hygienic conditions were not optimal. The plaster used in Greek architecture, basically composed of lime, or calcium carbonate, also performed a disinfectant action.

For all these reasons, white and blue have become the symbol of Greece and certainly reminiscent of the sky, clouds and sea, but not only. The white cross with a blue background located at the top left in the Greek flag symbolizes the values of the Christian Orthodox church. The Greeks are very attached to religion and their traditions, so it is normal that these colors have become fundamental not only for their homes, but also for the identity of this magnificent people.

From now on you can associate the colors of the beautiful Greek landscapes with their history, full of values and spirit of freedom and the purity of the Greek soul.