Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Hydra was sparsely populated in ancient times and is just mentioned in passing by Hero-
dotus. The most significant evidence of settlement dates from Mycenaen times. But, in
the 16th century, Hydra became a refuge for people fleeing the skirmishes between the
Venetians and the Ottomans. Many hailed from the area of modern-day Albania.
By the mid-1700s the settlers began building boats and took to the thin line between
maritime commerce and piracy with enthusiasm. They travelled as far as Egypt and the
Black Sea and ran the British blockade during the Napoleonic Wars (1805-15). As a res-
ult of steady tax paying, the island experienced only light interference under the Ottoman
Empire. By the 19th century, Hydra had become a full-blown maritime power, and
wealthy shipping merchants had built most of the town's grand mansions. At its height in
1821, the island's population reached 28,000. Hydra supplied 130 ships for a blockade of
the Turks during the Greek War of Independence and the island bred such leaders as Ad-
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