Doors and Windows of Serifos

Naturally, I had far too many photos for my post about the Chora of Serifos, so here are some of the outtakes — most of them doors and windows.

One might assume, as I did, that the colours of the Cycladic houses come from the Greek flag. Or from the colours of the Aegean Sea and the Grecian skies. But it turns out the blue-and-white colour scheme has a much more basic origin.

White is a practical choice, of course. Along with the thick stone walls and small windows, it helps the houses stay cool — an all-important consideration in the Mediterranean climate. But whitewash also contains limestone, a natural disinfectant, and during a cholera outbreak in 1938, it was ordered that whitewash be applied to all houses to help prevent the spread of the disease.

And blue? Turns out blue was the cheapest colour of paint available and after painting their boats, fishermen used any leftover paint on their houses.

Then, in 1967, the military dictatorship that ruled Greece at the time ordered all houses be painted blue and white because the colours were considered patriotic. White was linked to purity and independence (remember the uniforms of the Presidential Guard?). And, yes, blue represents the sea and the sky.

The colour scheme was made law in 1974. Those laws are no longer in place, but the blue and white colours have become so synonymous with the Greek islands that everyone keeps the traditional colours.

One final bit of trivia: many of the Greek islands were colonized by the Venetians and their influence can be seen in the construction of the doors and windows.