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AGIOS
GEORGIOS CASTLE
The medieval castle of
Agios Georgios is situated near the village of Peratata,
on a 320 m. high hill. The castle was built in the 13th
century to fortify the island's old capital which was
housed here until 1757 AD. The castle owes its name to the
large church of Agios Georgios, which is situated in the
region and is celebrated glamorously. The castle, along
with the island, fell in succession into the hands of the
Byzantines, the Franks, the Turks and |
the Venetians. On 24
December 1500, after a persistent battle with the
Venetians, the Spanish and the people of Kefalonia, the
castle was liberated from the Turks.
The severe damage to the buildings led to a restoration
supervised by the mechanic Tsimaras, which lasted for four
years. Until the earthquake in 1636, the castle thrived
and housed storage rooms, a hospital, barracks, private
residencies and a prison in which the more liberal people
of Kefalonia were kept, whom the current conquerors
considered dangerous. The Castle's entire surface area is
16,000 square metres, and the walls are 600 m. long and
1,015 m. high. The three ramparts face Argostoli, the East
and Peratata, respectively. The Castle also includes
loopholes, observatories and cannon positions. Inside the
Castle, one can admire the tower called "Old Fortress", as
well as part of the walls, underground arches, the throne
of the Venetian Lord and a catholic church, where the
nobles of Kefalonia were buried. |
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AGIOS
GERASIMOS MONASTERY
Agios Gerasimos is the
patron saint of the island. On its feast day, the
monastery is swarming with pilgrims. According to
tradition, he was born in Trikala of Korinthia and was a
member of the famous Notaras family. He became a monk and
spent twelve years in the Holy Land and five years in
Zakynthos. He came to Kefalonia in 1560 and stayed in the
cave of the same name, south of Argostoli. |
Later, he founded the monastery and took residence there
until his death on 15 August, 1579. Two years later, on 20
October, 1581, his relics were placed inside the
monastery. He was canonized in 1622. At the courtyard,
there is a big plane tree and a well, which is said to
have been dug by the saint himself. Inside, there is a
trap-door where he is said to have spent the greater part
of his life. On the 15th of August and the 20th of
October, big festivals and processions take place. Many
miracles are connected to the saint's relics and icon. |
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
In the chambers of the
Archaeological Museum of Argostoli, one can admire
findings during excavations on the island. Some of the
exhibits are the findings from the Mycenean Tumbs of
Mazarakata and Metaxata, sculpts, pots from the
prehistoric and the post-mycenean era, tombstones, coins,
seals, small objects and copper weapons. |
The exhibits are dated back to geometric and the ancient
era, the classical period, the hellenistic, the roman
period and the byzantine era. The most significant of the
exhibits are a bronze head of the 3rd century BC and the
sign "Tripis Damatri Ke Kora " of the 6th - 7th century
BC, dedicated to goddess Demetter and her daughter
Persephone. The sign was found in the location of ancient
Krani. |
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ASSOS CASTLE
The castle (Kastro) of
Assos, the focal point of Assos's peninsula, was built by
the Venetians in the late 16th century in order to protect
the city from pirate raids. Today, one can still admire
part of the walls and the arched entrance gate. In the
Castle, one can see the ruins of the Venetian High
Commissioner's house, the barracks and the church of Agios
Markos. |
From here, the view of the
sea and the lovely bay of Mirtos is so unique it attracts
many tourists. |
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BEACON OF
AGIOI THEODORI
The beacon is situated in
Fanari, near Argostoli. It was built in 1820, styled after
an English design. During an earthquake in 1953, it was at
once destroyed , but it has been restored to its original
state. |
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DROGORATI CAVE
Drogorati cave stands a few
kilometres outside the town of Sami. It is 45 metres in
width, 21 metres in depth, and 9 metres in length. It
consists of two parts. The upper part has collapsed and
only huge stalactites of different colours remain. The
second part is the cave proper (65 x 45 m), which is
accessible to tourists and houses cultural events. |
It has extraordinary acoustics, thus its name: "Hall of
Apotheosis". The cave can accommodate about 500 viewers.
The regulated lighting in combination with the
multi-coloured stalactites creates a picture of unique
beauty. |
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IAKOVATIOS
LIBRARY
Iakovatios Library is
situated in Lixouri, housed in the beautiful mansion of
Iakovati after whom it was named. The majority of the
chambers' walls are beautifully decorated, depicting the
family's previous glamour. Among the 20,000 volumes in the
Library, there are 7,000 volumes from the valuable
archives of the Iakovati family and 5,000 volumes which
belonged to the Professor of Theology, Mr. Alivizatos. |
The most valuable book of the collection is "The Complete
Works of Hippocrates", published in 1595. In a special
chamber in the Library, one can admire a small collection
of icons and other ecclesiastic heirlooms of the 10th and
15th century, the most significant of which are the icons
of "The Miracle at Hones" by Michael Damaskinos and "The
Assembly of the Michaelmas" created by the monk Filotheos
Skoufos. |
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KARAVOMILOS
The area of Karavomilos is
situated northwest of Sami. After an investigation
conducted by Yannis Petrohilos and, in 1963, from the
Austrian scientists Zolt and Maurin, it was discovered
that the waters, which one loses track of in Katavothres,
flow into the village of Karavomilos by underground rivers
every 15 days. Thus, a small salt-water lake has been
created here. This unique phenomenon attracts many
tourists to the area. |
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KATAVOTHRES
Katavothres, situated 3 km
outside Argostoli in the area of Fanari, constitute a
peculiar geological phenomenon. At first it was observed
that the water from the sea went into the ground through
holes and then it disappeared. After a thorough
investigation, initially performed by Ioannis Petrohilos
and in 1963 by the Austrian scientists Zolt and Maurin, it
was discovered that the water, through underground rivers,
flooded in the village of |
Karavomilos, in the east, 15 km away and in the spring
Fridi at Agia Eyfimia, after approximately 15 days. In
this area, in the early 20th century, there was a
hydroelectric factory and ice factory, for the
exploitation of the underground water. |
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KORGIALENIO
HISTORICAL AND FOLK MUSEUM
Korgialenio Historical and
Folk Museum is situated in the center of Argostoli. It was
established in 1966, in an area of 300 sq. m. The Museum
exhibits the local costumes, furniture and embroidery of
Kefalonia. Other exhibits includes heirlooms and other
ecclesiastic items, pictures, paintings, maps,
manuscripts, coins, jewels, silver and metal craftworks
and much more. |
In a special chamber in the museum's basement, the
Historical Archives of Kefalonia display historical
manuscripts from the 16th-19th centuries, depicting
several historical periods. The building also houses the
Library of the same name. |
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KORGIALENIOS
LIBRARY
The Korgialenios library is
housed in the museum of the same name, in Argostoli. It
was founded in 1924 with money donated from Marinos
Korgialenios, after whom the library was named. Although
it suffered from the earthquake of 1953, the library was
restored. Today, it is open to the public. It holds 46,000
volumes and many significant cultural events take place
here every year. |
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KOUNOPETRA
Kounopetra is situated 9 km
south of Lixouri. The location's visitor comes across a
very significant geological phenomenon. To be more
specific, from the sea emerges a huge rock which, before
the earthquake in 1953, used to move constantly and
rhythmically. After the earthquake the rock's base was
relocated and the rock stabilized to its current place.
Tradition claims that English ships tied Kounopetra with
thick ropes and chains and attempted unsuccessfully to
remove it. |
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MYCENEAN TOMBS - MAZARAKATA
Significant tombs that testify the existence of an
important Mycenean settlement. The findings from the
excavations include Mycenean art jewelry.
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MELISSANI
CAVE
The cave of Melissani,
outside Sami, is one of the most significant sights on the
island. As the excavations of 1963 have shown, it has
taken its name from the nymph Melissanthi. These
excavations brought to light aspects of the nymph, a
statuette, and an earthen tray with a depiction of Pan. In
1951, an ancient lamp, which is now on display in the
Archaeological Museum of Argostoli, was also found there. |
The cave is 40 metres in width, 36 metres in height, and
3.5 metres in length. Inside, it is covered by water 20 to
30 meters in depth due to the collapse of a part of the
roof. Small crafts carry visitors there to admire the
spectacular sight of the stalactites and the changing
colours of the water. An artificial balcony offers an
enchanting view from the top of the cave. |
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MYRTOS
Undisputably,one of the
most beautiful beaches in greece and one of the world's
best. The white shore meets the blue of the sea which is
present in every possible shade. The view from the
stopover on the road high above Myrtos, is simply
unmatched. |
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ROMAN VILLA
- SKALA
well preserved mosaics and
designs, dating to the 3rd century AD, in the ruins of a
roman villa discovered in excavations carried out in the
area of Skala. |
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TZANNATA-VAULTED TOMB
The excavation in this area
brought to the surface the largest vaulted tomb ever found
in western Greece. The unique findings, which include
jewelry and a seal, prove that the existence of a
significant Mycenean center |
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