The Pesthouse constitutes a milestone in the island’s history as it has been used both as a refuge and a quarantine station over the years. Built in 1839, under the supervision of Weiler, it was initially used as a quarantine facility for travelers who were forced to remain within its walls for at least 7 days in order to avoid any possible spread of infection or infectious disease. During the Cretan revolution of 1866 it was used as a shelter for the refugees of Crete while during the 19th century until the early years after the war the Pesthouse functioned as a prison for detainees. In 1908 it turned into a lunatic asylum, while after the civil war it was used for the detention of political prisoners.
