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, 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 ...

. 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 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'') ...

. This was done in 1813 by Colonel Charles Philip de Bosset, a Swiss 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 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 area, to the ground. Opposite the Archaeological Museum of Argostoli 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 * Dilinata *

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 * 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 De-Bosset Bridge 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 Patras. 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. Z ...

(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 * KTEL Bus service to

, via Kyllini, Patras 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 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 on the mainland across the ...

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 ...

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

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 surfa ...

& 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". Bio ...

(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. ...

(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 (1647–1688), merchant and adventurer * Antonis Tritsis (1937–1992), mayor of Athens * Christian Zervos (1889–1970), art collector, writer and publisher * Gerasimos Pitzamanos (1787–1825), painter and architect * Ioannis Karantinos (1784 -1834), Greek mathematician * Athanassios S. Fokas (born 1952), Greek mathematician

International relations

Argostoli is twinned with: * Šabac in

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

. * Brăila in

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

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)