HYDRA ISLAND

Can you picture an island without cars or scooters?It’slike travelling back in time! The time when people relied on their own two feet or their mules , to go everywhere! The only island in the Aegean -and probably in the Mediterranean – retaining this olden – day charm, is HYDRA!

HYDRA is a special place. You feel it the moment you lay your eyes on the mansions that outline the waterline!When you walk on the cobblestones, as the noise crowds echoes while you get lost on the alleys! Art , history, and architecture intermingle here making the island unique!

Hydra ,which at the time of its development has received many and various influences, isadulterated and highly standardized .The elements that distinguish its architecture came from all over the world, from east and west.Mostly, however , they are elements of the southern Europe, which have been filtered out by Turkish influence .Each Hydriot house has its own distinct personality, but all together are subordinated to an architectural style with common basic features. These common features allow the various buildings to coexist and harmonizein the area.

Hydra with its colorful cubic volumes , which make up a perfect painting of modern style, is unprecedented!

The location, the architecture of the island , all impose on the visitor a discipline, a concentration, they isolate him. Everything is simple, ascetic, and Doric in an tree less and barren place. The atmosphere of Hydra has nothing to do with what we find on our other islands! It has no sweetness, but it is also lacking in roughness. Hydra is neither an easy smile nor strictness! It is a serious and the same time so attractive! And above all HYDRA must remain HYDRA!

The settlement of Hydra, clinging to a bare grey rock, is the achievement of the daily grinding struggle of the Hydrians for survival. The island passed through various economic stages, but came to know great prosperity because of its matime activities. It’s tightly interconnected building plan, containing adaptations of Aegean and mainland architecture, combines simple houses and mansions, the humble and the grand, which constitutes the main characteristic of the town’s form.

As in most societies, there is alsoa separation in three social classes in Hydra. The upper class was were the wealthy, subsequent Admirals of the 1821 struggles, who acquired their wealth with their bold naval expeditions. Themiddle class were the captains and the lower class were the sailors and the small professionals with little economic potential. The social and economic conditions have put their stamp on the style of the types of houses built in Hydra. Thus three types were created: The Mansions, the Urban houses and the houses of the poor.

In Hydra, the landlord does not just make a big home, but he closes his world in a small palace that is also a fortress – a small palace with immense spaces, large rooms for worldy joys, marble fountains, carved cisterns, rich cellars, furniture from Venice. Down in the garden there is another part of the lord’s life – the church, the family cemetery, the ossuary. The lord never abandons his home, neither in death.

The mansions – warrior houses, fortresses and sea – view observatories were built for whole families with a host of servants who did not come out of their homes at all. The walls were made to withstand a siege as the had the fortification appearance, while loopholes were opened in many places. Accordin to this concept the houses were properly equipped so that the tenants could live independly without having to resort to others for the needs of everyday life. Often in the mansions there was a provision of 50 servant’s rooms, while the salons could accommodate 200 guests. Each house had its own ovens and most importantly its own cisterns. Most of the houses are still furnished with original period furniture, so they are small museums now!

This TYPE of Hydriot house found throughout the city, in the mansion area individually, but also in the popular region .In the urban houses inhabited by people of the middle social class-captains, merchants and generally affluent and cultured people, but did not have the wealth of notables.

The town houses are smaller than the mansions. They present the organization, the rooms have the same functions, but the rooms are less spacious and luxurious, although always testified great attention and care.

The simple houses-the folk are the third type of houses you meet in Hydra. They were inhabited by poor sailors. That is why folk houses have few spaces, the most necessary in everyday life needs. Usually, because of the slope of the ground they are two – storeyed. When the space was very limited , three floors were built. The second floor was the summer residence ,the first one was the winter, while the ground floor, which at the back ended up in the basement, housed the auxiliary rooms. Some variations of this type that occur sometime are due solely to shape of the ground, the orientation and the location of the road.