Church of Saint George, Spinalonga

The Church of St George dates back to 1661, built during the Venetian occupation of the island. It is close to the Graveyard where members of the leper community were buried between 1903 and 1957.
Spinalonga is a small island just off the coast of northern Crete. The island was occupied by a community of leprosy sufferers from 1903 to 1957, and was one of the last active 'leper colonies' in Europe. A hospital was built, and once on the island the leprosy sufferers received food, water, medical attention and social security payments. Previously, such amenities had been unavailable to them, as they had mostly lived in the area's caves, away from the towns and villages. The community's buildings are now mostly in a state of ruin, notable exceptions being two church buildings, St George and St Pantalion, and a Venetian fortress. The fortress dates from the Venetian occupation of the island, from c1550 to 1715.