Santorini: History, Legend & the Island That Inspired the World

June 12, 2026

Santorini caldera at golden hour — history, legend and wall art prints by Morphē Studio

Few places on earth carry the weight of myth and beauty that Santorini does. A crescent of volcanic rock rising from the Aegean, its whitewashed villages clinging to the caldera's edge, its sunsets famous across the world — Santorini is not just a destination. It is an idea. A feeling. A place that exists as much in the imagination as it does on the map.

Here is the story behind the island.

The Minoan Eruption: When the World Changed

Around 1600 BCE, one of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions in human history tore apart the island then known as Strongyli — "the round one". The explosion, now called the Minoan eruption, was four times more powerful than Krakatoa. It collapsed the centre of the island into the sea, creating the dramatic caldera that defines Santorini's silhouette today.

The eruption buried the thriving Minoan settlement of Akrotiri under metres of volcanic ash — preserving it, like a Greek Pompeii, for archaeologists to uncover thousands of years later. The frescoes found at Akrotiri, vivid with blue monkeys, swallows, and sailing ships, are among the most remarkable artworks of the ancient world.

Some historians believe the Minoan eruption inspired the legend of Atlantis — the advanced civilisation swallowed by the sea, described by Plato in his dialogues. Whether or not this is true, the story fits: a sophisticated island culture, destroyed in a single catastrophic moment, lost beneath the waves.

Ancient Thera: Greeks, Romans & Byzantines

After the eruption, the island was resettled and renamed Thera — a name it still carries officially today. Dorian Greeks colonised it around 1100 BCE, and the ancient city of Thera, built on the rocky ridge of Mesa Vouno, became a significant settlement. Its ruins — temples, agoras, and inscriptions — can still be visited today.

Under Roman rule, Thera was a quiet backwater. Under Byzantine rule, it became part of the great Christian empire, its churches and monasteries slowly accumulating on the clifftops. The island's strategic position in the Aegean made it a prize worth holding.

The Venetians & the Name Santorini

In 1204, following the Fourth Crusade and the sack of Constantinople, the island passed into Venetian hands. The Venetians built the kastelia — the fortified hilltop villages — whose architecture still shapes the island's character. They also gave it a new name: Santa Irini, after the Byzantine church of Saint Irene, which became Santorini in common usage.

The Venetian period left a deep mark on the island's culture, architecture, and identity — a Latin layer beneath the Greek surface that makes Santorini unlike anywhere else in the Aegean.

Ottoman Rule & Greek Independence

In 1579, Santorini fell to the Ottoman Empire, though it retained considerable autonomy and its Catholic community — a legacy of Venetian rule — continued to flourish alongside the Orthodox majority. The island became part of the modern Greek state in 1821, following the Greek War of Independence.

The 1956 Earthquake & the Birth of Modern Santorini

On 9 July 1956, a devastating earthquake struck the island, destroying much of Oia and forcing thousands to emigrate. It was a moment of crisis — but also, unexpectedly, of transformation. The rebuilding of the island's villages in the distinctive white-and-blue style that the world now associates with Santorini created the aesthetic that would eventually make it one of the most photographed places on earth.

Tourism arrived in the 1970s and 1980s, and Santorini was never the same again.

Why Santorini Inspires Art

The caldera. The light. The contrast of white walls against deep blue sky and darker blue sea. The way the villages seem to grow organically from the rock, as if they were always there. Santorini has been inspiring artists, photographers, and designers for over a century — and it continues to do so.

At Morphē Studio, we've captured Santorini in two distinct moods: the warm, illustrated nostalgia of our vintage poster, and the dramatic, cinematic atmosphere of our cinematic print. Both are available as instant digital downloads, ready to bring a piece of this extraordinary island into your home.