How does Greece keep buildings white?

This might sound strange today, but the whitewash used to paint the houses contained limestone. Limestone is a powerful disinfectant, and not many others were in common use at the time. Greek citizens thus whitewashed their homes to help sanitize them and reduce the spread of cholera.



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In the late 1930s, Greece was suffering from a cholera epidemic, and the nation's leader at the time, Ioannis Metaxas, ordered all Greek citizens to whitewash their houses. The whitewash used to paint the outside of citizens' homes contained limestone, which happens to be a potent disinfectant.

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Many visitors in Greece might have seen the white paint around the tree trunks. In the past when people didn't have all these agricultural concoctions to protect the trees from insects and bugs, they used a mix of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), chalk (whiting) and water lime mixed with water as insect repellent.

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The solution was to paint their houses light-colored by using whitewash which they made by mixing lime, water, and sea salt. As white color is a reflector of heat it worked perfectly to preserve the freshness and coolness of Greek homes.

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Every year before Easter, Santorini residents refresh the paint on their houses to get this clean look that you often see on the pictures from the Cyclades Islands. Houses in this part of Greece are traditionally covered with hydrated lime and water.

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But, it is fair to say that blue is a significant colour for the Greeks as it reflects the colour of the seas and skies in their everyday life. The widespread use also emanates from an ancient belief that the sky blue shade of turquoise has the power to keep evil away.

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In response to a 1938 cholera outbreak, the government ordered citizens to whitewash their homes in order to slow the spread of the disease. At the time, disinfectant cleaning products were not widely available in the islands, but they had plenty of whitewash.

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It was not until 1967, that these two colors became a mandatory choice when the Junta, a right-wing military dictatorship mandated that all buildings must be painted or repainted to white and blue. The regime believed that this measure would inspire patriotism and reflect nationalism.

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Blue became prevalent for doors and shutters as it was the cheapest paint color available to fishermen and sailors. The military dictatorship enforced the blue and white coloring of Greek island houses, inspired by notions of patriotism and Greek nationalism.

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It mainly had to do with construction reasons. Domes in general are one of the first structural forms humans worked with in stone architecture. Spherical domes are used in Greece from appx. 5,800 BC.

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The reason behind this color choice has to do with practicality. In the old times, Greek housewives would use a cleaning agent called loulaki (blue powder in English) which came in the form of talcum powder. It was widely and cheaply available across Greece.

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The traditional two-story dwelling is an ingenious construction, striking the perfect balance between form and function. The towns of Nisyros typify Greek Aegean settlements, with houses clustered close to each other for shade and protection from the strong Aegean winds.

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Sherwin Williams Greek Villa isn't a true white or a creamy white, but it's one of the best off-white paint colors you can use that doesn't have a strong undertone. If you're looking for an off-white that's right in the middle, then this paint color might be for you.

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No, Santorini is not a cheap place to visit. From the high cost of accommodations to the luxury restaurants and activities, many factors contribute to the expensive prices in Santorini. The popularity and beauty of the island, combined with its limited resources, also contribute to its high prices.

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The very successful movie of Hollywood and Universal Studios with the wonderful songs of ABBA and amazing actors , Mamma Mia was filmed in Greece in Skopelos , Skiathos and Damouhari Pelion . Many visitors to our island , request information about the locations where the movie MAMMA MIA was filmed.

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Yellow signifies “sadness” in Greece's culture and “jealousy” in France's culture.

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Greece is commonly referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and for good reason, as one of the things that Greece is known for is its remarkably preserved ruins, as well as its many archaeological museums, like the superb National Archaeological Museum in Athens, which depict ancient architecture, culture, and ...

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