Eleusa, an Italian ghost town that lives in the forests of Rhodes

In the heart Rhodes Islandon the slopes Mount Profitis Ilyitis Hidden in a lush forest, it is a ghost town Eleusaoriginally known as Campochiaro.

When Italian forces occupied Rhodes on the 4th of the month May 1912, a phase began that would leave a profound impact on the island’s history. The Italians remained there for 31 years, until after briefly passing through the hands of the Nazis and the British, Italian territory was seized. Treaty of Paris 1947 states that the islands of the Dodecanese Archipelago were incorporated into Greece.

Eleusa is a witness to this historical development. Italian settlers arrived – mainly from the Italian Alpine regions – attracted by the island’s thriving timber industry. They were woodsmen who, together with their families, built Campochiaro in the image and likeness of the cities of their homeland: they built houses with gabled roofs, brightly colored facades and porticoed buildings, a curious example of Alpine architecture adapted to a Mediterranean environment.

The town was inhabited until the final departure of Italian settlers in 1947. But today, The entire complex remains abandonedTime has eroded the ornate walls, the tiled floors have crumbled and the roofs have collapsed. Despite this, Touring the ruins of Eleusa transports the visitor to another era and is considered one of the tourist attractions on the island Which attracts dozens of visitors and curious people every year.

A place shrouded in mystery

After the departure of the Italians, the school building was transformed into a hospital for tuberculosis patients, which continued to operate until the 1970s. Its isolated location from large urban centers made it the ideal destination for those who had to stay away from the population. It was known as the “Queen Federica” ​​sanatorium, and it accommodated eighty patients and about one hundred health workers. However, the hope of recovery for these patients was very little, and thus, Eleusa became associated with death and surrounded by an aura of mystery.

Eliosa mini synthetic length

Everett

Over time, the old Catholic church founded by the settlers was converted into an Orthodox temple dedicated to Saint Charalambos. On the other hand, the market building with its magnificent porticoes, curved grilled balconies and richly decorated rooms was never used again. Today, its ruins – along with the small artificial lake – are one of Eleusa’s greatest attractions. Located on the outskirts of the city, the lake is home to a valuable colony of gizani fish, a species endemic to Rhodes and one of the most endangered species in Europe.