Santorini: Greek whites and blues

How many times have you spotted little white box-like buildings against the blue sea as the 'perfect' backdrop to a cheery honeymoon couple? Chances are, all of us know at least one friend who went on their honeymoon to one of these small towns around Southern Europe, especially the Cycladic islands in Greece. My husband and I were no exception - from the day we knew our wedding date, we read and breathed stories about Santorini's white buildings, perfectly set against the gorgeous blue sea that we came to love as the 'caldera'.

I had often wondered why these buildings look that way - Its hard to imagine that ever person on those islands wanted their houses and buildings to look white. Some of the stories we heard, were rather interesting.

A common reason was that white paint was not manufactured up to the start of the 20th century. So most of these islanders used asbestos to paint their buildings (mainly due to lack of options). Now that did not quite add up, since older paintings of Santorini do have vibrant colors and hues. One story suggests that in the 19th century, Greek people painted their buildings white and blue in defiance of the Ottoman emperor banning them from flying their flag. Another story suggests that Santorini was under a military ruler in the mid-20th century, who mandated all houses to be painted white by law. The church domes that were already blue-colored were allowed to be the only exceptions. Hence the blue and white.

Blues and whites, © Janani Rajagopalan

A local handbook on Greek history had a different theory to this - Greek men of note were known to spend much of their time outdoor in public spaces. So they preferred massive public structures, temples and outdoor facilities. This is easy to understand, looking at the Acropolis of Athens or the numerous temples that dot the Peloponnese. But the same men lived very private and secluded family lives. Women from "good" homes were virtual prisoners and barely left their homes. This division was embodied in the windowless blank houses the Greeks built. So the white facades were not only important in protecting the inmates from the harsh weather but also symbolic of the sanctity, purity and honor of the family within. Its hard to say if the same rule applies to the public structures - Some historians argue that the public structures that we see in white today were indeed colored in red, golds and blues at some point.

The entire town looks like a white and blue canvas, be it the structures, sky or the Caldera, © Janani Rajagopalan

Its easier to understand the reason in recent times. White and blue are colors of the Greek flag and these islands have become popular 'picture-perfect' tourist destinations mainly due to their architectural beauty. So tourism and fashion have become dominant reasons for the colors of these towns today.

Color in Architecture

The Greeks built some of the most important structures that set the tone and proportions of prominent buildings and structures that we see around us today. Interestingly, the most iconic architectural ruins from that era are all 'color-free' - be it the Parthenon at Athens or the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. They are made of stone or concrete in shades of white, picking on beige and brown as they aged. Built against dramatic green swathes of hilly landscape, complemented by the lovely blue Aegen Sea, these white structures went on to be considered the ultimate expression of "rich and classic" architecture.

Greek monuments, as we see them today:

Temple of Nike, a symbol of luck atop the Acropolis at Athens, © Janani Rajagopalan

But did they always look that way? I recently came across an interesting theory that suggests that the Greeks did use colors to adorn their structures - bright, vibrant hues such as copper blue and terracotta red, derived from natural stones and coloring pigments available at the time. Think about it - these structures were built in the 4th and 5th century B.C. while the Athenian empire was at its peak. They have withstood centuries of rain, storms and floods, in addition to wars that were fought after the fall of the Greeks and later Romans. What are the chances that all the color got washed away early and somehow never got highlighted in the descriptions and recordings about these buildings. We do know that the Greeks knew how to make color - The Acropolis museum provides a detailed reference list on the 9-10 colors that they knew how to make.

Artistic Renderings of how Greeks may have used colors:

Nevertheless, most architects from the Classical Era refused to acknowledge that the white Greek monumental remains may have looked bright and colorful. While Classical architects still favors white and beige, modern architects introduced primary colors into their palette. Things are changing today, with many architects collaborating with artists in projects where they wish to explore the potential of color in architecture.