Farmakonisi Φαρμακονήσι | |
|---|---|
Settlement | |
  Farmakonisi | |
| Coordinates:37°17′24″N27°05′06″E / 37.29000°N 27.08500°E /37.29000; 27.08500 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | South Aegean |
| Regional unit | Kalymnos |
| Municipality | Leros |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.866 km2 (1.493 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 21 |
| • Density | 5.4/km2 (14/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 854 00 |
| Area code(s) | 22470 |
Farmakonisi (Greek:Φαρμακονήσι) is a small Greekisland andcommunity of theDodecanese, in theAegean Sea,Greece. It lies in the middle between the chain of the Dodecanese islands in the west, and the coast ofAsia Minor (Turkey) in the east. To the north of it are the island ofAgathonisi, to the west the islands ofLeipsoi,Patmos andLeros, and to the south the islands ofKalymnos andPserimos. It forms part of the municipality of Leros, and had at the 2021 census a population of 21 inhabitants.[1] Prominent historical monuments on the island include the church of Agios Georgios (Greek:Άγιος Γεώργιος) and the nearby ruins of an ancientRoman temple.
The area of Farmakonisi is 1.48 sq mi (3.8 km2).
InAntiquity, the island was known asPharmakousa (Greek:Φαρμακοῦσσα,[2]Latin:Pharmacussa[3]) and took its name from pharmaceutical herbs that were growing on it. Alternative names for it arePharmakos, whence it is known asFarmaco in Italian. It is known asBulamaç in Turkish.[4]
In ancient times,Hippocrates used to visit Farmakonisi to gather pharmaceutical herbs.Plutarch in hisParallel Lives tells that the youngJulius Caesar, while traveling toAsia Minor, was kidnapped by pirates and held prisoner there 38 days. During his imprisonment he promised them that, if he were freed, he would have all of them killed. After having paid a ransom twice as high as his kidnappers claimed (since he said that the required amount was too low for someone like himself), and having been freed, he organized a fleet and maintained his promise, crucifying all of them.
In modern times, the islet -dependent fromLeros- was occupied in 1912 by theKingdom of Italy during theItalo-Turkish war and, after being part of theItalian Islands of the Aegean,[5] was ceded from Italy to Greece in 1947.
Since 2011, as part of theKallikratis Plan, the island has been part of the municipality ofLeros.
Farmakonisi was notable since the ancient times for its very rich flora with several species of herbs growing on the island's surface. The flora is dominated by cedar, while cereals were grown in the small plateau of the island in past times.
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