Summer Research Brief 2013 - People/ Places - Santorini

First chosen option to research - People/ places - Santorini, Greece

Santorini, also called Thera, and officially Thira, is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland.

The cresent shape of Thera is essentially the leftovers from a volcanic eruption over 3,600 years ago. The 12 x 7km lagoon or Caldera, is surrounded buy 300m cliffs either side. produced 2 other smaller islands belonging to Thera; Palea and Nea Kameni.

The earliest human settlement on the island is thought to be around the 3rd millenium BC. An eruption in around 1500 BC destroyed the settlement of Akrotiri.

According to Herodotus, Thera was originally called Strongyle meaning 'the round one'. Then during the settlement of the Phoenicians it was named Kalliste meaning 'the fairest one'. When the Lacedaemonians settled the island was renamed the name of their God, Thera in 9th century BC. The name 'Santorini' was chosen after the church of Aghia Irini (Santa Irene) - after the fall of Constantinople to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade (1204). The Duchy of Naxos was founded and Thera became one of the four Catholic Bishops of the Duchy.

My own pictures of the Caldera from the city of Fera 

Panorama of Fira from the middle of the Caldera:

Santorini is often featured in many advertisements because of it's beauty, depicting an image of Greece at it's finest:

Muller Greek-style Yoghurt advert 2012: 

Ryan Doyle Parkour Athlete in Red Bull advert, 2011:

Why is it interesting? 

It's interesting because it's such an unusual and beautiful place.

What other target audiences exist for it?

Target audiences include anyone! It's shown publicly in many different adverts and travel imagery and appeals to a wide audience, not just tourists.