The Port of Argostoli: From Past to Present

The

PORT of ARGOSTOLI

From Past to Present

A project by A3 Class Students of
1st General Lyceum of Argostoli, Kefalonia
GREECE

This ebook is one of the final outputs of the KA229 Erasmus+ project entitled "People Organizing Redevelopment Technology and Sustainability", which was carried out from 2019 until 2022.

Edited by Georgia Balara, teacher of English, team supervisor

Table of Contents

How it all started

De Bosset Bridge before the earthquake of 1953

De Bosset Bridge: From the 1953 earthquake
until today

The Obelisk of De Bosset Bridge: a landmark
of Argostoli

De Bosset Bridge: Then and Now

Sea turtles in the port of Argostoli

Spotting some Careta Careta turtles in the bay

The Old Port of Argostoli

The Old Market

The market shortly after 1953

The port of Argostoli today

The Cruise Ship Terminal (“Bastouni”)

Memorials at "Bastouni"

The statue of Nikos Kavvadias

The Lighthouse of Saint Theodore

Lighthouse of Saint Theodore: Then and Now

References - Πηγές

Our team

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How it all started...

Argostoli is the capital town of Kefalonia, with a population of about 10,000 people. It is situated on the south-west coast of the island, upon a sheltered bay which blends into the Koutavos Lagoon, home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. As a natural harbour, one of the few in the entire Mediterranean, it became the capital of the island in 1757. But how did this happen?

Before that 1757, the capital of the island was the Venetian Castle of St George. The castle, originally built by the Byzantines in the 12th century, was fortified by the Venetians who occupied the island in 1500. It became the island's capital and administrative centre as it offered protection against frequent pirate attacks.

St George's Castle

Gravour of Argostoli, 1757

After the Naval Battle of Lepanto in 1571, the Meditteranean coasts became safer and Greek commerce and shipping started growing. As a result, people gradually moved to coastal areas that offered natural protection, such as the the coastline around Koutavos Lagoon, at the east end of Argostoli bay. Gradually, the small fishermen's village in the area expanded and became more organised, including a dock, proper houses that replaced the old huts and churches.

An aerial view of Argostoli bay

It took some time for the Venetian government to realise that the sheltered bay upon which the small town of Argostoli sat, providing protection as well as trading opportunities, was the ideal spot for building the new capital of the island. In 1757, despite numerous objections by the nobles and locals, the administrative centre was moved from the St George's Castle to Argostoli.

Argostoli developed into one of the busiest ports in Greece, leading to prosperity and growth. Today the municipal unit of Argostoli comprises an area of 157.670 km2 and a population of 10,633 according to the 2011 cencus.

De Bosset Bridge before the earthquake of 1953

De Bosset Bridge is a stone bridge built in 1813 over the bay of Argostoli. At 689.9 meters, it is the longest stone bridge over the sea in the world. When the the Ionian Islands were under British patronage, part of the occupation costs were reimbursed in the form of infrastructure projects. In 1810, the Swiss engineer Charles Philip de Bosset, who was appointed as the island governor by the British who occupied the Ionian Islands at the time, placed emphasis of his activity on the road and bridge construction. Numerous connections were shortened with bridges. The biggest project, however, was the bridge over the bay of Argostoli to Drapano, which shortened the way to Lixouri and the north of the island. It separates Koutavos lagoon from the rest of Argostoli bay.

In 1812, De Bosset presented his idea of a bridge to the island council, which had to confirm the construction. Counterargument was that the bridge could give robbers a slight escape route, since its northern end is (then as today) unpopulated. In a meeting, De Bosset struck a sword on the table and proclaimed that if necessary he could cut treaties with his sword.