Kefalonia first appeared in the history books in 585 BC when a guitar competition was won by a Kefalonian .From then until the Roman rule little is mentioned about the Island, however we do know that Kef took part in the Persian wars along with the rest of Greece, but the details are not very clear.
Kefalonia next appears in history the time of Philip V of Macedonian who threatened to capture the island in 218BC but was resisted against by the brave Kefalonians. New conquerors arrived for good in 187BC when the island was occupied by the Romans along with the rest of Greece . The town of Sami decided to resist and held out of 4 months before the town was forced to resist. Life during this period under the Roman was extremely difficult for the Kefallonians and the constant raids from Pirates didn't exactly help their lives.
Next comes the Byzantine period between 330 & 1185. It is said that life wasn't much more pleasant than life under the Roman rule, administration, the general quality of life didn't get any better and unfortunately those pates kept invading as well.
In 1757 the seat of the Governor was taken from St. George's castle and moved to Argotoli which became the capital of Kefalonia. Also in this year the Venetian rule ended with the invasion of the French with Napoleons army along with the rest of the Ionian Islands .
The Kefalonians were very exited when they heard that the French had landed in Corfu knowing that eventually they would work their way down to the island. The French promised to liberate the islands and help Greece to regain it's ancient glory. Unfortunately this excitement didn't last very long because a couple of years later in 1800 it was the turn of the Turks along with the rest of the islands. There was also a very difficult time for the Greeks and they suffered a lot and were also deprived of all political rights.
The French popped back again in 1809 but just for a period of 2 years because then it was the turn of the British because in this year Britain declared general war on the Napoleon army. In September of that year 3 frigates and 30,000 soldiers took the Castle in Zakynthos and hoisted up the British flag. The rest of the Ionian Islands soon followed.
So as you can see up until this point Kefalonia was not Greek really at all. After all this turmoil that the islands had suffered it really was time for a bit of a break for the poor people. So with the congress of Vienna and the treaty of Paris in 1815 the united states of Ionian Islands were formed under the protection of the British. The island the right to separate diplomatic representation which went on to be approved by the British government.
One of the first governors on the island was Swiss and his name was De Bosset. He served for the British and was responsible for major road works including the Drapano bridge that we passed. He also built roads from Sami to Argostoli, Scala to Argostoli and Argostoli to Fiscardo. The British rule was generally good for the island but they were slightly tyrannical and a little big to big for their boots which made them a little unpopular with the locals.
Kefalonia made a significant contribution to the Greek revolution in 1821 many of the leaders being from the Ionian Islands . Sir Charles Napier was appointed commander of Kef in 1821. He was responsible for the building of many roads and public buildings and opened up the island to communication and trade. Over the next 20 years the Kefalonians fought very hard for the independence and finally in 1850 Kefalonia had it's first free parliament and proclaimed that the people of the Ionian Islands want independence and unification with Greece . This took some time and it wasn't until May 21st 1864 that the islands were the last part of Greece .
During world war 11 the island was occupied by the Italian forced allied with the Germans who were later murdered by the Nazis for helping and sympathizing with the Kefalonians. There is a monument dedicated to the Italians from the Kefalonians in the hills behind the hotel Fanari along the romantic road in Lassi.
St. Gerasimos Nunnery, approx.15 km from Argostoli and sign posted off the main road to Sami.St Gerasimos is the patron saint of Kefalonia, his relics lie within a silver casket in the smaller, older church on the same site.. On the right you will see a small opening in the ground with steps which will take you down to the original dwelling of the saint. The new church has been recently finished and is only open for service on feast days and special celebration.
The Robola wine factory is also in this area.
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Drogarati Caves, approx 30 km from Argostoli and sign posted off the main road to Sami. Measuring 30 x 45M, the caves were discovered in983 and were not opened to the public until 1963. The floor is littered with stalagmites and the ceiling is hung with stalactites. The caves have very good acoustics and many famous singers have performed there, including the famous opera singer Maria Callas. To reach these caves you have to be prepared to walk down approx. 120 steps but it is worth visiting.
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Mellisani Lakes, approx. 1km north from the port of Sami . The lakes were open to the public in 1963 after a tunnel was made giving access to the lakes. It is partially covered subterranean lake and when the sun is directly overhead its rays strike the ultra marine water. The lake was used as a place to worship Pan, the half man, half goat, half goat demigod. Explore the lake with your guide in rowboat.
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St. George Castle, approx. 5km from Argostoli on the southern road towards Scala and Poros.This was the islands capital until 1757, and dates back to the 13th century. The ruling families of the time were invited to recide there. There are 2 castle walls, the inner one being the oldest. The total area of the castle is 1600 square meters and the walls have a circumference of 600meters. The castle stands at a height of 320 meters above sea level. Inside the castle you can still see evidence of various buildings, the governors office, dungeons, church and a tunnel which leads to the area of Koutavos in Argostoli. It was a secret passage used as an escape route and for passing supplies through such as weapons and food.
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Assos Castle, approx. 40km from Argostoli on the road north towards Fiscardo. Built in 1593, and now a designated site of European heritage, the fortress has over 2km of walls. It was used as a refuge by local people to escape from pirates who controlled the channel. In the post wars period the castle was used as a political prison for the communists. The village itself is a pretty fishing village with a population of approx 100 people.
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Agios Andreas (St. Andrews Nunnery ), approx 7km from Argostoli off the southern road near the area of St Georges Castle. The nunnery was opened approx 7 years ago and contains the foot of St Andrew. It also houses other valuable artefacts dating back to the Byzantine period. The new church here was built in 1954 after the earthquake and there is a small souvenir shop here run by the nuns of the area.
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Drapanos Brigge, this the bridge or causeway that runs across the bay. The bridge was initially constructed in 1813. At the time a Swiss-born man called Charles-Phillipe de Bosset was serving as the British governor. The bridge was built to enable the villagers to communicate more easily with the islands capital. The original structure was made of wood, the work took 2 weeks to complete and the total length of the bridge was 800meters. Later stone foundations were laid while the arched openings were bridged with oak beams. In 1842 the bridge was rebuilt with hard stone giving its currently appearance but following the 1953 earthquake it subsided slightly. On the stone pyramid in the centre of the bridge there was a plaque which read "TO THE GLORY OF THE BRITISH NATION" but this was removed by the Italian troops when they were here under occupation during the last wars.
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Fiscardo, this the northern most harbour on Kefalonia. It lies opposite and very close to Ithaca ; it is surrounded by a thick cypress glade. Fiscardo is the only place on the island that was not destroyed by the 1953 earthquake. In the harbour are many flotillas, cruise boats and fishing boats.
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Sami, it is the oldest town on Kefalonia, discovered in 187BC. It was destroyed in the wars between the Greeks and the Romans. After the 1953 earthquake it was rebuilt with donations of moneys from ex-Kefalonians, Scandinavians and British. It was a lovely harbour lined with fishing boats and very popular with local ferry boats which travel to neighbouring islands and the Greek mainland. Sami is very unspoiled and lunch or an evening meal overlooking the bay is a very pleasurable experience. The beautiful Antisamos beach is situated nearby.
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Agia Efimia, this was an old Venetian fishing village and is still popular with local fishermen and the many flotillas that pass by here throughout the summer. The harbour is small and picturesque, with shops and a pebble beach and is one of the quieter resorts on this island.
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Lixouri, the second largest town on Kefalonia. Lixouri no longer has any old or traditional buildings due to the destructive earthquake in 1953, so the town is now beginning to follow more modern town planning with wide clean streets and charming little squares. To the south of Lixouri there are some beautiful long sandy beaches, giving the opportunity to relax after exploring this pretty place.
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Lassi, Lassi boasts the best beaches in Kefalonia. It's a few kilometres of coastal road lined with taverns, restaurants and bars, with plenty of handy mini-markers and usually a 5-10 minute walk to the sea from most of the accommodation in resort. On several of these beaches you will find plenty of water sports and a large supply for sun beds for lazing on the golden sands.
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Scala , Scala is a fast developing village on the southern tip of Kefalonia lying beside a beautiful long, pine fringed sand and shingle beach. Relaxed, but lonely sums up the atmosphere here. Most of Scalas taverns, bars, shops and cafes are situated on the single village street. Wildlife Funds and Turtle Group in the remoter parts protect the nesting sites for the Loggerhead Turtles, there is a Turtle Group based here.
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--- MUSEUMS IN ARGOSTOLI ---
Archaelogic Museum, this is situated between Vallianos square and the main shopping street. It contains relics from the Mycenae period including swords, coins and pottery.
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Folklore Museum , this can be found under the library, behind the theatre in Argostoli. It has a series of reconstructed rooms containing costumes, craftwork, furniture, instruments and paintings. There are also photographs of the island before the wars and before, during and after the 1953 earthquake.
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--- KEFALONIAN PHENOMENA ---
Katavothres - Karavomilos, Katavothres is also known as Swallow holes. Water is sucked underground beneath Kefalonias mountains and emerges 20 days later some 15 km away. The mystery was solved by Austrian scientist who put dye into the inflow of the water and later found traces of the dye in the areas of Mellisani lakes and at Karavomilos.
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Konopetra, the rock is situated on the south coast of Lixouri. It is a very large rock in the sea which rocks very slightly back and forth in the water. The rock was stabilized a little after the 1953 earthquake. When the British were here on the island they tied chains around the rock ant tried to drag it in to the sea but without success and the rock lies there to this day rocking backwards in the water.
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Demoutsantata, here is the lily which is withered all year round but on the 23rd of August every year it opens and flowers in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary on the church feast day.
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Lake Avithos, this is the lake on the island which has no bottom. There have been numerous attempts to try and find the bottom of this lake without success.
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Markopoulo, on 15th of August every year small black snakes seemingly come out of nowhere and climb all over the church and bell tower here and ni ine seems to know why. There is saying if you manage to catch one of these snakes (which aren't of course poisonous) and take into the church and place it on the altar it will bring you good luck for the rest of the year.
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