Evangelismos: A glimpse in the history of one of the oldest clinics in Heraklion

Healthcare evolved gradually in Crete and was characterized by the development of numerous clinics in Heraklion before the establishment of a general hospital in the late 20th century. A notable milestone in this evolution is the General Clinic of Evangelismos, which was originally functioning as the French School of Nuns, which was founded in 1906 and operated for 35 years, before being repurposed as a German Military Hospital during World War II. After the war, physicians Konstantinos Markatatis, Evangelos Chatzakis, and Konstantinos Karyotakis acquired the building, which later became the General Clinic “Evangelismos”. It operated until 1985 and in 2002 was occupated by anarchists. The building remains a symbol of Heraklion’s evolving healthcare landscape up until this day.