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Kefalonia
( Kephalonia ) island
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 Kefalonia
is the largest island in the Ionian Island group in western Greece. Kefalonia
was named for the mythological figure Cephalus, although some believe that
the name refers to the shape of the island, and insist that it means “island
with a head”.
Kefalonia’s capital is Argostoli.
Argostoli was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1953, with
only a few houses remaining, as well as the arched bridge that reaches
across the lagoon and the obelisk at its center, which now commemorates
the date of its construction. The earthquake in 1953 actually destroyed
practically the entire island of Kefalonia, leaving only Fiscardo in the
north unscathed.
The next largest town on Kefalonia
is Lixouri. There you will find a lovely 19th century mansion turned museum
and traces of the ancient city of Pali. The beaches to the south of Lixouri
are among the very finest in Greece. On the east side of the island are
the pebbled beaches of Poros, Sami, and Agia Efimia.
The tallest mountain on Kefalonia
is Mount Ainos, which stands at 1628meters. There are two monasteries
located on Kefalonia, the first is the monastery of Haghia Panagia, which
is in the southeast section of the island in Markopoulo. The other is the
monastery of Agios Gerasimos, patron saint of Kefalonia, and is found on
the road between Argostoli and Michata, on a small plain which is surrounded
by mountains. The latter features a tree lined avenue with a circle in
the middle.
Just recently a Roman era tomb containing
gold, jewelry, pottery, and bronze pieces was discovered on Kefalonia.
The tomb itself is a house shaped structure with a door that was still
in working order. There was also a theater and seat rows found. These structures
are said to date back from the 2nd century BC to the 4th century AD. |
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