Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands. Its name derived from the island's first king, Kefalos. During ancient times it was also called Tetrapolis (in Greek meaning 4 towns) which was separated into the towns of Pali, Krani, Sami and Proni. Up to the 11th century B.C it had been the cultural centre of the Mycenaean civilization. There have been many archaeological discoveries dating back to the Mycenaean era which were found in the tombs of Mazarakata, Kokolata and Lakithra. These findings are placed in the archaeological museum in Argostoli.
The island was conquered by the Romans around 189 B.C who used it as their naval base to fight against the rest of the Mediterranean area. Around 395 A.D Kefalonia belonged to the Byzantine Empire and played a very important part in the defence against the pirates coming from North Africa.
In 1185 Kefalonia came under Frankish rule. The Turks also ruled the island between 1485-1500. From 1500 until 1797 it was ruled by Venice and the capital was then the fortress of Saint George. In 1757, Argostoli became the island's capital due to the port's importance for the General Command of the Venetian officers who had settled there. The French have also ruled Kefalonia, the first time during 1797-1799 by the Republicans and the second time during 1807- 1809 by Napoleon's imperial forces.
In 1809 Kefalonia was under British rule. They played an important role in the island's development. After 1848, the Ionian islanders were fighting against the British occupation and the British rule ended in 1864 following the union of the Ionian Islands with the rest of Greece. Up to present times, there has been much influence on Kefalonia due to its history of foreign rulers and especially the Italians. The Italian influence is obvious in their language, attitude, education, music and art.
» left by John Bonner from Kefalonia (4 years 58 days ago.)
An informative article on the history of this beautiful and interesting island. Respond to this comment
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on 9/5/2005 6:55:18 AM. View other articles written byExodus Abroad(96)
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