Cyclades islands: The history behind the shift to white architecture

The iconic white appearance of the Cyclades islands is a relatively recent transformation. Research published in the journal Heritage by architect and NTUA PhD Myrtó Steno indicates that older layers of plaster in the Aegean reveal a much more diverse color palette.

Beneath the modern white surfaces, historical layers contain shades of ochre, red, black, and deep violet. While the current aesthetic of white cubic structures and blue accents is globally recognized, the islands originally featured stone appearances and earthy tones.

A common narrative suggests this shift occurred in 1938 when Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas ordered the whitewashing of homes to use lime as a disinfectant during a cholera pandemic. However, studies suggest this colorful identity was a long-standing characteristic of the region before the 20th-century transition to the white-dominated aesthetic seen today.