Argostoli ( el, Αργοστόλι,

Katharevousa Katharevousa ( el, Καθαρεύουσα, , literally "purifying anguage) is a conservative form of the Modern Greek language conceived in the late 18th century as both a literary language and a compromise between Ancient Greek and the contempor ...

: Ἀργοστόλιον) is a town and a municipality on the island of

Kefalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...

, Ionian Islands,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

. Since the 2019 local government reform it is one of the three municipalities on the island. It has been the capital and administrative centre of Kefalonia since 1757, following a population shift down from the old capital of Agios Georgios (also known as Kastro) to take advantage of the trading opportunities provided by the sheltered bay upon which Argostoli sits. Argostoli developed into one of the busiest ports in

, leading to prosperity and growth. The municipality has an area of 377.0 km² and the municipal unit (the pre-2010 municipality) has an area of 157.670 km². The 2011 census recorded a population of 10,633 in the Argostoli municipal unit, and 23,499 in the municipality in its post-2019 extension. Its largest towns are Argostóli (pop. 9,748), Razata (507), Dilináta (496) and Kompothekráta (449).

Urban landscape

To the east of Argostoli, at the end of the bay, beneath the aforementioned Castle of St. George, sits the Koutavos Lagoon, a feeding ground for the Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Now a nature reserve, the Koutavos Lagoon was once an almost impassable

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

where

mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

es and

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

were rife. During the period of British occupation of the Ionian Islands, Kefalonia's governor, General Sir Charles James Napier, constructed a wooden bridge across the

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...

. This was done in 1813 by Colonel Charles Philip de Bosset, a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

engineer in the employ of the British army. Four years later stone arches were added and, after some 26 years, the entire bridge was rebuilt in stone. In continuous use until 2005, this narrow bridge is now closed to traffic, currently undergoing renovation by the Greek Ministry of Culture. Almost halfway along the

De-Bosset Bridge The De Bosset Bridge (formerly Drapano Bridge) is a stone bridge built in 1813 over the bay of Argostoli in Kefalonia. At 689.9 meters, it is the longest stone bridge over the sea in the world. History When the Republic of the Ionian Islands ...

stands a stone column built by the British to celebrate their presence. The coastal road out of Argostoli to the west was known during the Venetian period as the ‘Piccolo Gyro’. Along the Piccolo Gyro, in the Vlikha area facing Lixouri, lie the ‘Swallow Holes’ of Katovothres, a geological phenomenon. Sea water disappears underground and travels under the island, re-emerging around fourteen days later in the Karavomylos area of Sami, having passed through the nearby, underground Melissani lake. The power of this sea water was harnessed, in 1835, to power a water mill. Further along the Piccolo Gyro is the Agion Theodoron lighthouse, named after the small adjacent church. More commonly known as the Fanari lighthouse, this too was built during the British occupation, in 1829. The original building was destroyed in the earthquake of 1953, the recently restored present structure was rebuilt, complete with Doric-style columns, from the original plans. Buildings that weren't shattered by German bombing in 1943 were destroyed in 1953 by the earthquake that razed virtually all of Kefalonia, apart from the

Fiskardo Fiskardo (Greek: Φισκάρδο, also ''Fiscardo'' or in the past ''Viscardo'') is a village and a community on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, Greece. It is part of the municipal unit of Erisos. It is the northernmost port of Kefalonia, a s ...

area, to the ground. Opposite the

Archaeological Museum of Argostoli The Archaeological Museum of Argostoli, also known as the Kefalonia Museum is a museum in Argostoli, Greece, located a few blocks south of the central square, across the Municipal Theater on R. Vergoti St.. The old museum was destroyed by an earthq ...

are the law courts, originally constructed by the British with stone from the Cyclopean site at nearby Krani. Along Lithostroto, next to the Catholic Church, is a tiny museum (open some mornings and most evenings) dedicated to the soldiers of the ''Acqui Division''. A little further along is the Bell Tower, rebuilt in 1985 to house the original clock mechanism. On the Ionian Sea coast southwest of the town centre is the holiday resort town Lassi, which has several small beaches.

Subdivisions

Following the

Kapodistrias reform Kapodistrias reform ( el, Σχέδιο Καποδίστριας, "Kapodistrias Plan") is the common name of law 2539 of Greece, which reorganised the country's administrative divisions. The law, named after 19th-century Greek statesman Ioannis Kapod ...

of 1997, communities around the town united to form a larger municipality of Argostoli, which included the settlements of Spilia, Helmata, Kompothekrata, Lassi, Minies and ten former communities: Agona, Davgata, Dilinata, Zola, Thinia, Kourouklata, Nifi, Troyiannata, Faraklata and Farsa. As a result of the 2010

Kallikratis Programme The Kallikratis Programme ( el, Πρόγραμμα Καλλικράτης, Prógramma Kallikrátis) is the common name of Greek law 3852/2010 of 2010, a major administrative reform in Greece. It brought about the second major reform of the count ...

, this municipality became a municipal unit of the municipality of Kefalonia, which covered the whole island. In 2019 three new municipalities were formed on the island, including Argostoli. The municipality of Argostoli consists of the following municipal units (former municipalities): * Argostoli *

Eleios-Pronnoi Eleios-Pronnoi ( el, Ελειός-Πρόννοι) is a former municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2019 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argostoli, of which it is a municipal unit. The m ...

Leivatho Leivatho ( el, Λειβαθώ) is a former municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands (region), Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2019 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argostoli, of which it is a municipal unit. I ...

* Omala The municipal unit of Argostoli is subdivided into the following communities. Constituent villages are given in brackets: * Agkonas *Argostoli (Argostoli, Kokolata, Kompothekrata, Minia) *

Davgata Davgata ( el, Δαυγάτα) is a village in the island of Cephalonia, Greece. It is part of the municipal unit of Argostoli. It is situated on a mountain slope above the eastern shore of the Gulf of Argostoli, at about 300 m elevation. Davgata is ...

Dilinata Dilinata ( el, Διλινάτα) is a village in the municipal unit of Argostoli, Cephalonia, Greece. It is situated on a mountain slope, at 400 m elevation. It is 2 km east of Davgata, 2 km north of Faraklata and 6 km northeast of ...

Faraklata Faraklata ( el, Φαρακλάτα) is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Argostoli, Cephalonia, Greece. It is situated on a mountain slope above the eastern shore of the Gulf of Argostoli, at about 220 m elevation. Faraklata is 2&n ...

(Faraklata, Drapano, Prokopata, Razata) *

Farsa Farsa (Italian, literally: ''farce'', plural: ''farse'') is a genre of opera, associated with Venice in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is also sometimes called ''farsetta''. Farse were normally one-act operas, sometimes performed to ...

* Thinaia (Kardakata) * Kourouklata * Nyfi * Troianata (Troianata, Demoutsantata, Mitakata) *

Zola Zola may refer to: People * Zola (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * Zola (musician) (born 1977), South African entertainer * Zola (rapper), French rapper * Émile Zola, a major nineteenth-century French writer Plac ...

Transportation

Between the Koutavos Lagoon and the

is the new bus station which connects Argostoli with the other towns and some of the villages on the island, as well as with

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

and

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. The main ferry port, connecting Argostoli with the mainland (via Kyllini) and

Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Za ...

(also known as

Zante Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Za ...

) is next to this building with the Lixouri ferry (once an hour in winter, twice an hour in summer) docking a little further along. * Car ferry service to Kyllini (mainland) and

(

) * Car ferry to

Lixouri Lixouri ( el, Ληξούρι) is a town and a municipality in the island of Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands of western Greece. It is the main town on the peninsula of Paliki, and the second largest town in Kefalonia after Argostoli a ...

* KTEL Bus service to

, via Kyllini,

and the

Corinth Canal The Corinth Canal ( el, Διώρυγα της Κορίνθου, translit=Dhioryga tis Korinthou) is an artificial canal in Greece, that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the ...

bridge * Infrequent bus service to

Poros Poros ( el, Πόρος) is a small Greece, Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, about south from the port of Piraeus and separated from the Peloponnese by a wide sea channel, with the town of Galatas, Troizina, Galatas on ...

Sami Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise net ...

Skala Skala may refer to: Places Greece * Skala, Patmos, the main port on the island of Patmos in Greece * Skala, Laconia, a municipality in southern Greece * Skala, Xanthi, a settlement in north-eastern Greece * Skala, Cephalonia, a resort in the ...

, Fiskardo and various villages en route * Frequent summer service to

Lassi Lassi () is a regional name for buttermilk, the traditional dahi (yogurt)–based drink, consumed in the South Asian region. Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices, and sometimes fruit. Salty lassi is similar to doogh, while modern sweet la ...

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

& Ai Chelis, Lourdas, Ammes,

Myrtos Myrtos is a coastal village in the west of the municipality of Ierapetra, in the Regional Unit (previously called prefecture) of Lasithi on the Greek island of Crete. It is located from Agios Nikolaos and from Ierapetra, on the road to V ...

& Antisamos. * Transit bus service is provided between the Airport and the city of Argostoli (only during summer season). There is a public bus stop in front of the terminal building. Tickets can be purchased by the bus drive

* Scheduled flights to Zakynthos and Athens, charter flight in summer, via Kefalonia Island International Airport, Kefalonia Airport * Taxis from Plateia Valianos and seafront, car and motorcycle/scooter hire

Climate

Historical population

People

* Gerasimos Arsenis (1931–2016), politician * Renée Toole Kahane (1907-2002), philologist *

Aris Maliagros Aris Maliagros ( el, Άρης Μαλιαγρός; also Aris Malliagros; 17 August 1895 in Argostoli, Kefalonia – 18 December 1984) was a Greek actor who played several aristocratic roles. He was famous as the "master with the monocle". Biogr ...

(1895–1984), actor *

Andreas Metaxas Andreas Metaxas ( el, Ανδρέας Μεταξάς; 179019 September 1860) was a Greek politician, fighter of the Greek War of Independence and diplomat from Cephalonia. He was prime minister of Greece from 3 September 1843 to 16 February 1844. S ...

(1786–1860), politician *

Ioannis Metaxas Ioannis Metaxas (; el, Ιωάννης Μεταξάς; 12th April 187129th January 1941) was a Greek military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941. He governed constitutionally for t ...

(1871–1941), general, politician and dictator *

Constantine Phaulkon Constantine Phaulkon (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος Γεράκης, ''Konstantinos Gerakis''; γεράκι is the Greek word for "falcon"; 1647 – 5 June 1688, also known as Costantin Gerachi, ''Capitão Falcão'' in Portuguese and simply as ' ...

(1647–1688), merchant and adventurer * Antonis Tritsis (1937–1992), mayor of Athens *

Christian Zervos Christian Zervos ( el, Χρήστος Ζερβός; Argostoli, Cefalonia, Greece, January 1, 1889 – September 12, 1970, Paris) was a Greek-French art historian, critic, collector, writer and publisher. Better known as an art critic in his own ri ...

(1889–1970), art collector, writer and publisher * Gerasimos Pitzamanos (1787–1825), painter and architect * Ioannis Karantinos (1784 -1834), Greek mathematician *

Athanassios S. Fokas Athanassios Spyridon Fokas ( el, Αθανάσιος Σπυρίδων Φωκάς; born June 30, 1952) is a Greek people, Greek mathematician, with degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and Medicine. Since 2002, he is Professor of Nonlinear Mathema ...

(born 1952), Greek mathematician

International relations

Argostoli is twinned with: *

Šabac Šabac (Serbian Cyrillic: Шабац, ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Mačva District in western Serbia. The traditional centre of the fertile Mačva region, Šabac is located on the right banks of the river Sava. , the city p ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

. *

Brăila Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila. According to the 2011 Romanian census there were 180,302 pe ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

References

External links

Argostoli KefaloniaLassi Kefalonia , Tourist Guide KefaloniaVisit.comMunicipality of Argostoli official websiteGTP – ArgostoliGTP – Municipality of ArgosoliKefalonia Useful Information (PDF)Argostoli the captivating capital of Kefalonia
{{Authority control Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Greek prefectural capitals Populated places in Cephalonia Municipalities of the Ionian Islands (region)