Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the
Venetian
Venetian often means from or related to:
* Venice, a city in Italy
* Veneto, a region of Italy
* Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area
Venetian and the like may also refer to:
* Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
form) is a
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
island in the
Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the
Ionian Islands. Zakynthos is a separate
regional unit
The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into muni ...
of the
Ionian Islands region
The Ionian Islands Region ( el, Περιφέρεια Ιονίων Νήσων, translit=Periféria Ioníon Níson, ) is the smallest by area of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece located in the Ionian Sea. It comprises all the Ionian I ...
, and its only
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality ...
. It covers an area of
and its coastline is roughly in length. The name, like all similar names ending in , is pre-Mycenaean or
Pelasgian in origin. In
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of ...
the island was said to be named after
Zakynthos, the son of the legendary
Arcadian chief
Dardanus.
Zakynthos is a tourist destination, with an
international airport served by charter flights from northern Europe. The island's nickname is "the Flower of the Levant", bestowed upon it by the
Venetians who were in possession of Zakynthos from 1484 to 1797.
History
Ancient history
The ancient Greek poet
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the '' Iliad'' and the '' Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of ...
mentioned Zakynthos in the ''
Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...
'' and the ''
Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...
'', stating that its first inhabitants were the son of King Dardanos of Arcadia, called Zakynthos, and his men. Before being renamed Zakynthos, the island was said to have been called Hyrie. Zakynthos was then conquered by King
Arkesios In Greek Mythology, Arcesius (also spelled Arceisius or Arkeisios; grc-gre, Ἀρκείσιος) was the son of either Zeus or Cephalus, and king in Ithaca.
Mythology
According to scholia on the ''Odyssey'', Arcesius' parents were Zeus and Euryod ...
of
Kefalonia, and then by
Odysseus from
Ithaca. Zakynthos participated in the Trojan War and is listed in the Homeric
Catalogue of Ships which, if accurate, describes the geopolitical situation in early Greece at some time between the
Late Bronze Age and the eighth century BCE. In the ''Odyssey'', Homer mentions 20 nobles from Zakynthos among a total of 108 of Penelope's suitors.
The
Athenian
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh List ...
military commander
Tolmides concluded an alliance with Zakynthos during the
First Peloponnesian War, sometime between 459 and 446 BC. In 430 BC, the Lacedaemonians led a force of about 1,000 heavy infantry, led by the Spartan admiral Cnemus, in an attack upon Zakynthos. Although the attackers managed to burn much of the surrounding countryside, the city itself refused to surrender and the attack ultimately failed. The Zakynthians are then enumerated among the autonomous allies of Athens in the disastrous Sicilian expedition. After the
Peloponnesian War, Zakynthos seems to have passed under the supremacy of Sparta because in 374 BC, Timotheus, an Athenian commander, on his return from Kerkyra, landed some Zakynthian exiles on the island and assisted them in establishing a fortified post. These exiles must have belonged to the anti-Spartan party as the Zakynthian rulers applied for help to the Spartans who sent a fleet of 25 to the island.
The importance of this alliance for Athens was that it provided them with a source of
tar
Tar is a dark brown or black viscosity, viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic matter, organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. ...
. Tar is a more effective protector of ship planking than
pitch (which is made from
pine trees). The Athenian
trireme
A trireme( ; derived from Latin: ''trirēmis'' "with three banks of oars"; cf. Greek ''triērēs'', literally "three-rower") was an ancient vessel and a type of galley that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean ...
fleet needed protection from rot, decay and the
teredo, so this new source of tar was valuable to them. The tar was dredged up from the bottom of a lake (now known as
Lake Keri) using leafy
myrtle branches tied to the ends of poles. It was then collected in pots and could be carried to the beach and swabbed directly onto
ship hulls. Alternatively, the tar could be shipped to the Athenian naval yard at
Piraeus for storage.
Philip V of Macedon seized Zakynthos in the early 3rd century BC, when it was a member of the Aetolian League. In 211 BC, the Roman praetor
Marcus Valerius Laevinus took the city of Zakynthos with the exception of the citadel. It was afterwards restored to Philip V of Macedon. The Roman general
Marcus Fulvius Nobilior finally conquered Zakynthos in 191 BC for Rome. In the
Mithridatic War
The Mithridatic Wars were three conflicts fought by Rome against the Kingdom of Pontus and its allies between 88 BC and 63 BC. They are named after Mithridates VI, the King of Pontus who initiated the hostilities after annexing the Roman provinc ...
, it was attacked by Archelaus, the general of Mithridates, but he was repulsed.
Medieval period
In 459, the island was plundered by the
Vandals under
Geiseric, who carried off 500 local aristocrats.
Zakynthos appears to have been spared from the
Slavic invasions of the 6th–7th centuries, as no Slavic names are attested on the island.
During the middle Byzantine period (7th–12th centuries), Zakynthos belonged to the
Theme of Cephallenia, and the local bishopric was likewise a
suffragan of Cephallenia (and later of the
Metropolis of Corinth
The Metropolis of Corinth, Sicyon, Zemenon, Tarsos and Polyphengos ( el, Ιερά Μητρόπολις Κορίνθου, Σικυώνος, Ζεμενού, Ταρσού και Πολυφέγγους) is a metropolitan see of the Church of Greece in ...
).
In 880, the
Aghlabids raided Zakynthos, but were
defeated by the
Byzantine navy
The Byzantine navy was the naval force of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it was a direct continuation from its Imperial Roman predecessor, but played a far greater role in the defence and survival of the state th ...
under
Nasar
Nasar ( el, Νάσαρ), originally baptized Basil ( el, Βασίλειος),. was a distinguished Byzantine Empire, Byzantine military leader in the Byzantine–Arab Wars, Byzantine–Arab conflicts of the latter half of the 9th century.
Biograph ...
.
Plundered by the
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the ...
ns in 1099, it was captured by
Margaritus of Brindisi in 1185, and thereafter formed part of the
County palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos.
A
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
bishopric was installed on the island, alongside the Orthodox one.
Venetian period and modern era
By 1460, and during the reign of
Mehmed II, the Ottoman Turks eventually controlled most of the
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge whi ...
with the exception of the remaining Venetian-controlled towns of
Argos,
Nafplio,
Monemvassia,
Methoni and
Koroni. After the collapse of the
Hexamilion, which was supposed to act as a defense across the
Isthmus of Corinth; and hence, protect the Peloponnese, Leonardo III Tocco made an agreement with
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
to accept 10,000 refugees from this region. Leonardo III Tocco and his realm was increasingly vulnerable from Ottoman Turkish attacks. These refugees consisted of Greeks,
Arvanites and some Venetian officials.
Zakynthos was captured by the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in 1478, but conquered by the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...
in 1482.
It remained in Venetian hands, as part of the
Venetian Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands were an overseas possession of the Republic of Venice from the mid-14th century until the late 18th century. The conquest of the islands took place gradually. The first to be acquired was Cythera and the neighboring islet ...
, until the
Fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797, and then passed successively under
French rule, became part of the autonomous
Septinsular Republic in 1800, before
returning to the French in 1807. Seized by the British in 1809, it formed part of the
United States of the Ionian Islands until the
Union of the Ionian Islands with Greece in 1864.
World War II
During the
German occupation of Greece, Mayor
Loukas Karrer
During the Holocaust in Greece, the entire, 275-person Jewish population of the island of Zakynthos was not deported after Mayor Loukas Karrer and Bishop Chrysostomos (1890–1958) refused Nazi orders to turn in a list of the members of the to ...
and
Bishop Chrysostomos refused Nazi orders to turn in a list of the members of the town's Jewish community for deportation to the death camps. Instead they hid all (or most) of the town's Jewish people in rural villages. According to some sources, all 275 Jews of Zakynthos survived the war.
Both were later recognized as
Righteous among the Nations by
Yad Vashem. In contrast, over 80% of Greek Jews were deported to
death camps
Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (german: Vernichtungslager), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocaust. The v ...
and murdered in
the Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
.
Earthquakes
Zakynthos was hit by a 7.3-magnitude
earthquake on 12 August 1953, destroying most of the buildings on the island. Subsequently, all buildings have been strengthened to protect against further tremors. On 26 October 2018, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake south of the island caused no injuries, but damaged the local pier and a 13th-century monastery.
Geography
Zakynthos lies in the eastern part of the Ionian sea, around west of the Greek (
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge whi ...
) mainland. The island of
Kefalonia lies to the north. It is the southernmost of the main group of the Ionian islands (not counting distant
Kythira
Kythira (, ; el, Κύθηρα, , also transliterated as Cythera, Kythera and Kithira) is an island in Greece lying opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is traditionally listed as one of the seven main Ionian Islands, ...
). Zakynthos is about long and wide, and covers an area of .
Its coastline is approximately long. According to the 2011 census, the island has a population of 40,759.
The highest point is
Vrachionas, at .
Zakynthos has the shape of an
arrowhead, with the "tip" (Cape
Skinari) pointing northwest. The western half of the island is a mountainous plateau and the southwest coast consists mostly of steep cliffs. The eastern half is a densely populated fertile plain with long sandy beaches, interrupted with several isolated hills, notably
Bochali which overlooks the city and the peninsula of
Vasilikos in the northeast. The peninsulas of Vassilikos to the north and
Marathia to the south enclose the wide and shallow bay of
Laganas on the southeast part of the island.
The capital, which has the same name as the prefecture, is the town of
Zakynthos. It lies on the eastern part of the northern coast. Apart from the official name, it is also called ''Chora'' (i.e. the Town, a common denomination in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town). The port of Zakynthos has a ferry connecting to the port of
Kyllini on the mainland. Another ferry connects the village of Agios Nikolaos to
Argostoli on Kefalonia. Minor uninhabited islands around Zakynthos included in the municipality and regional unit are: Marathonisi, Pelouzo, Agios Sostis in the Laganas bay,
Agios Nikolaos near the eponymous harbor on the northern tip, and
Agios Ioannis near Porto Vromi on the western coast.
Flora and fauna
The mild
Mediterranean climate and plentiful winter rainfall endow the island with dense vegetation. The principal agricultural products are
olive oil,
currants, grapes and
citrus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is nati ...
fruit. The Zante currant is a small sweet seedless grape that is native to the island.
The Bay of Laganas is the site of the first National
Marine Park and the prime nesting area for
loggerhead sea turtles (''Caretta caretta'') in the Mediterranean.
Climate
Sights
Famous landmarks include the
Navagio beach, a cove on the northwest shore isolated by high cliffs and accessible only by boat. Numerous natural "blue caves" are cut into cliffs around Cape
Skinari, and accessible only by small boats.
Keri, on the south of the island, is a mountain village with a lighthouse. The whole western shore from Keri to Skinari contains
rock formations including arches.
Northern and eastern shores feature numerous wide sandy beaches, some of which attract tourists in summer months. The largest resort is
Laganas.
Marathonissi islet (also known as "Turtle Island") near
Limni Keriou Limni may refer to:
* Lemnos (''Limni'' in Turkish), a Greek island
*Limni, Euboea
Limni ( el, Λίμνη meaning "lake") is a town and a community in the northwestern part of the island of Euboea, Greece. It is located northwest of Chalkida and ...
has tropical vegetation, turquoise waters, beaches, and sea caves.
Bochali hill above the Zakynthos town contains a small Venetian castle.
Administration
Zakynthos is a separate
regional unit
The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into muni ...
of the
Ionian Islands region, and the only
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality ...
of the regional unit. The seat of administration is
Zakynthos, the main town of the island.
Regional unit
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Zakynthos was created out of the former
prefecture Zakynthos ( el, Νομός Ζακύνθου). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. In the same reform, the current municipality Zakynthos was created out of the six former municipalities:
*
Zakynthos (city)
*
Alykes
Alykes ( el, Αλυκές) is a former municipality on the island of Zakynthos, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Zakynthos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is situated along the nor ...
*
Arkadioi
Arkadioi ( el, Αρκάδιοι) was a former municipality on the island of Zakynthos, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Zakynthos
Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυν ...
*
Artemisia
*
Elatia
*
Laganas
Population and demographics
*1889: 44,070 (island), 18,906 (city)
*1896: 45,032 (island), 17,478 (city)
*1900: 42,000
*1907: 42,502
*1920: 37.482
*1940: 42,148
*1981: 30,011
*1991: 32,556 (island), 13,000 (city)
*2001: 38,596
*2011: 40,759
In 2006, there were 507 births and 407 deaths. Zakynthos is one of the regions with the highest population growth in Greece. It is also one of the only three prefectures (out of 54) in which the rural population has a positive growth rate. In fact, the rural population's growth rate is higher than that of the urban population in Zakynthos. Out of the 507 births, 141 were in urban areas and 366 were in rural areas. Out of the 407 deaths, 124 were in urban areas and 283 were in rural areas.
Culture
Literature
Since Zakynthos was under the rule of the Venetian Republic, it had closer contact with Western literary trends than other areas inhabited by Greek people.
An early literary work from the island is the ''Rimada'', a 16th-century romance in verse about
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
. Notable early writers include
Tzanes Koroneos, author of ''Andragathemata of Bouas'', a work of historical fiction;
Nikolaos Loukanis, a 16th-century Renaissance humanist;
Markos Defaranas Marcos may refer to:
People with the given name ''Marcos''
*Marcos (given name)
Sports
;Surnamed
* Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century)
* Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer
* Nélson Marcos, Portugue ...
(1503–1575), possibly the author of the ''Rimada'';
Pachomios Roussanos (1508–1553), a scholar and theologian; and
Antonio Catiforo (1685–1763), a grammarian and satirist.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the so-called
Heptanese School of Literature developed, consisting mainly of lyrical and satirical poetry in the vein of Romanticism prevalent throughout Europe at the time. It also contributed to the development of modern Greek theatre. An important poet of this school was Zakynthian
Dionysios Solomos; another was
Nikolaos Koutouzis, who also figures prominently in the Heptanese School of Painting. Others include
Georgios Tertsetis (1800–1873), politician, poet, and historian.
Transport
The island is covered by a network of roads, particularly the flat eastern part, with main routes linking the capital with Volimes in the north, Keri in the south, and the Vassiliki peninsula in the west. The road between Volimes and
Lithakia connects the western half of the island.
The island has one airport,
Zakynthos International Airport, on former GR-35, offering connecting flights with other Greek airports and numerous tourist charters. Opened in 1972, it is located from
Zakynthos.
Zakynthos also features two ports, the main port located in the capital, and another in the village of
Agios Nikolaos. From the main port there is a connection to the
port of Kyllini, which is the usual place of arrival to the island by sea from the mainland. From the port of Agios Nikolaos there is a connection to the island of
Kefalonia.
Science
Ionian University's Department of Environment has been located on Zakynthos since 2003. It has developed laboratory and field station infrastructures in Zakynthos and the Strofades islets.
Freshwater resources on Zakynthos are limited, and as a result a Greek-Norwegian educational collaboration is being established on the island.
Science Park Zakynthos is a collaboration between the Technological Educational Institute of the Ionian Islands (TEI), the
Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), and the
Therianos Villas and Therianos Family Farm on Zakynthos.
Notable people
Among the most famous Zakynthians is the 19th-century poet
Dionysios Solomos, whose statue adorns the main town square. The Italian poet
Ugo Foscolo
Ugo Foscolo (; 6 February 177810 September 1827), born Niccolò Foscolo, was an Italian writer, revolutionary and a poet.
He is especially remembered for his 1807 long poem ''Dei Sepolcri''.
Early life
Foscolo was born in Zakynthos in the Ion ...
was born in Zakynthos. The famous Renaissance surgeon and anatomist
Andreas Vesalius died on Zakynthos after being shipwrecked while making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His body is thought to have been buried on the island but the site has been lost. Early 19th-century poet and playwright
Elizabeth Moutzan-Martinegou was also born there.
Tourism
Since the mid 1980s, Zakynthos has become a hub for 18-to-30-year-old tourists, leading to
Alykanas
Alikanas ( el, Αλικανάς) is a village in the municipal unit of Alykes situated on the northeastern coast about 15 km northwest of Zakynthos (city) on the island of Zakynthos, Greece. It is situated from the neighbouring village of Alykes, ...
and
Laganas (formerly quiet villages) becoming hotbeds of clubbing hotels, nightclubs, bars and restaurants.
Gallery
File:I Iacintus - Buondelmonti Cristoforo - 1420.jpg, Map of the island by Cristoforo Buondelmonti (1420)
File:Ugo Foscolo statue in Zakynthos.jpg, Bust of Ugo Foscolo
Ugo Foscolo (; 6 February 177810 September 1827), born Niccolò Foscolo, was an Italian writer, revolutionary and a poet.
He is especially remembered for his 1807 long poem ''Dei Sepolcri''.
Early life
Foscolo was born in Zakynthos in the Ion ...
File:Zakynthos May 2009 abandoned church at Kato Gerakari - panoramio.jpg, Church at Kato Gerakari
File:0265 Saint Mark's Church 2014 Zakynthos City.JPG, Saint Mark's Catholic church, Zakynthos town
File:Σεκάνια Ζακύνθου 02.jpg, Sekania beach, Laganas bay
File:Porto Vromi, Maries side, Zakynthos, Greece 01.jpg, Porto Vromi
File:Cultural Center – Zakynthos – Greek – 01.jpg, Cultural centre, Dionysios Solomos Square
File:Loggerhead sea turtle.jpg, Loggerhead sea turtle
See also
* "
A Zacinto"
*
List of settlements in Zakynthos
Citations
General sources
*
*
External links
The rescue of the Jews of Zakyntos during World War II
{{Authority control
Ionian Islands
Islands of Greece
Municipalities of the Ionian Islands (region)
Pelasgian words
Prefectures of Greece
Regional units of the Ionian Islands (region)
Septinsular Republic
Territories of the Republic of Venice