Published on November 1, 2025

Eleousa, nan hauntingly beautiful shade colony nestled successful nan hills of Rhodes, offers an bonzer recreation acquisition wherever history, nature, and decay intertwine. Once a thriving colony during nan Italian business of Rhodes, Eleousa now stands abandoned, its eerie ambiance attracting funny travelers seeking to uncover its mysteries. From its decaying structures to nan remnants of its once-vibrant community, nan colony tells a fascinating communicative of a clip gone by, pinch each building and ruin holding secrets of its past. The village’s isolation, coupled pinch its striking humanities significance, makes Eleousa a genuinely unsocial and captivating destination for those yearning to research nan lesser-known corners of Greece.
Discovering Eleousa: The Haunting Beauty of Rhodes’ Ghost Village
Tucked distant among nan level trees connected nan slopes of Mount Profitis Ilias lies nan abandoned shade colony of Eleousa (Άγια Ελεούσα), a silent testament to a bygone era. Left mostly untouched for complete 50 years, this hauntingly beautiful colony connected nan Greek land of Rhodes has a captivating yet eerie charm. Known erstwhile by its Italian name, Campochiaro—meaning “Bright Field”—Eleousa’s history traces backmost to nan play of Italian business of Rhodes from 1912 to 1947, a clip that indelibly shaped nan island’s scenery and culture.
Eleousa was founded successful 1935 arsenic a purpose-built agrarian colony by nan Italian regime, designed to support nan timber manufacture and foster tourism successful nan region. Its original inhabitants were chiefly Italian lumberjacks and their families, who came from Northern Italy’s Alpine regions. These settlers brought pinch them unique architectural styles, galore of which still linger successful nan village’s decaying buildings. Over nan decades, however, quality has reclaimed overmuch of nan village’s erstwhile vibrancy, pinch agleam facades now faded and roofs succumbing to nan ravages of time.
At nan bosom of Eleousa stands nan cardinal square, surrounded by important structures that stay contempt nan transition of time. Among them is nan Agora, a erstwhile marketplace hallway erstwhile adorned pinch arches and curved balconies. This building, now successful various states of disrepair, served arsenic nan commercialized hub of nan organization during its heyday. Nearby stands nan erstwhile subject prison, primitively built during nan Italian occupation, later repurposed arsenic a schoolhouse erstwhile nan Dodecanese islands joined Greece successful 1947.
One of nan astir intriguing features of Eleousa is nan Dodecanese Sanatorium, besides known arsenic “Queen Frederica.” Originally built arsenic a school, it was converted into a tuberculosis sanatorium successful 1947, chosen for its secluded location amid nan dense forest, thought to beryllium perfect for healing. The sanatorium operated until nan early 1970s earlier being abandoned. Today, it stands arsenic a decaying monument to nan past, attracting history buffs and acheronian tourism enthusiasts eager to research its eerie ruins.
A short stroll from nan quadrate leads to a information cistern, an artificial reservoir constructed by nan Italians to cod h2o from nan adjacent Koskinisti spring. The aqueduct that feeds nan cistern is simply a singular feat of engineering, and nan building itself serves arsenic an basal ecological site, providing a captious residence for nan critically endangered Gizani food (Ladigesocypris ghigii), which is recovered only successful Rhodes.
Though Eleousa’s glory days were short-lived, its communicative did not extremity pinch nan Italian exodus betwixt 1940 and 1943, and nan last departure of families successful 1947. The colony is not wholly deserted today. A mini group of Greek residents has made their location here, and an expanding number of visitors are drawn to Eleousa’s quiet isolation and eerie allure. The colony offers a fascinating glimpse into Rhodes’ past, wherever history, decay, and quality intertwine.
Not acold from Eleousa stands different relic of nan Italian occupation: nan Villa de Vecchi, often referred to arsenic “Mussolini’s Villa.” Although Italian dictator Benito Mussolini ne'er stayed there, nan mansion was meant to service arsenic his vacation residence. Instead, it became nan location of Count Cesare Maria De Vecchi, 1 of Mussolini’s advisors and a erstwhile politician of nan Dodecanese. The villa, for illustration Eleousa, offers a haunting relationship to nan island’s past, pinch its expansive architecture now weathered by time.
Eleousa, a haunting shade colony connected Rhodes, offers a captivating recreation acquisition wherever history and decay intertwine. Its abandoned structures and eerie ambiance make it a genuinely unsocial destination for those seeking to uncover hidden secrets.
Eleousa whitethorn person faded into obscurity complete nan years, but its haunting beauty and humanities value proceed to captivate visitors. For those seeking a unsocial and thought-provoking recreation experience, nan colony stands arsenic an unforgettable destination—a spot wherever nan past lingers successful nan stillness, waiting to beryllium discovered.
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