By Nicolas Bard

Argostoli is the largest city in Kefalonia and the capital of the Municipality of Argostoli, with about 10,000 permanent residents. It is the capital and the island’s capital and activity center since 1757, when there has been a significant movement of population from the old capital, Agios Georgios, with the aim of exploiting the commercial capabilities of the Gulf of the area. Argostoli has a safe port and is connected by ferry to many routes to the second largest city on the island, Lixouri. There is also a particularly rich library in the city, Korgialenios or otherwise a public library.

The Argostoli Library was founded in 1924, following the will of Marinos Korgialeniou, from where it was named after it, which had left £ 4,000 for the erection of the library, 1,000 pounds for buying books and 5,000 for its maintenance. It is currently supervised by the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs and has the main purpose of informing anyone who visits the Library, the promotion of research and the cultural and spiritual development of the locals.

From about 1600 it seems that the area began to settle near Koutavos and especially on the side of the bridge area and Sisiotissa. The solution for a new city that has the best possible standards with the first safe port will occur later, when in 1757 it is decided to move the capital from the Castle of St. George there near Koutavos, where there was a settlement mostly from fishermen. The castle seaport was called Tener della Scala di Cefalonia. In the past, the port of the island was in Koutavos, Porto de la Zepharonia or Porto de l ‘Arsenal, in the Gulf. From 1757 onwards, Argostoli began to grow gradually.

When the Ionian Islands passed to the English in about 1810, Kefalonia, like the other Ionian Islands, had its own English ruler. One of them was De Bose, who did many works in Argostoli and was the creator of the famous Argostoli Bridge. This bridge, about one kilometer long, connected Argostoli to the opposite side of the Gulf of Argostoli. The old city of Argostoli was much more picturesque than today, as it contained many large buildings with Italian architectural influences. The pre -earthquake city was adorned with many imposing mansions and mansions, with Italian influences on the architecture of houses and with Renaissance, baroque elements. Argostoli was also the second city in Greece to be powered.

One of the “mysteries” of Argostoli is the so -called sinks, a rare geological phenomenon. At the edge of the Argostoli Peninsula the sea penetrates land and flows into sinks. The phenomenon has been troubled by scientists for many years. Thus, in 1963 Geologists Viktor Maurin and Josef Zötl from the Graz Technical University threw 160kg of paint into one of the sinks in the area. Two weeks later traces of color were found in springs on the other side of the island, 14 kilometers away, as well as in Melissani’s magnificent lake.

One of the main attractions of Argostoli and the trademark of the area is of course the lantern, or the lighthouse of the Saint Theodore. Located just outside the city and is built on an artificial peninsula. It is a circular building based on twenty white Doric columns. It was built in 1928, at the time of Charles Napier, but in 1964 it was rebuilt by Kefalonian architect Takis Pavlatos, as he suffered serious damage from the 1953 earthquakes. A walk in this area as the sun sets, is the most beautiful way to visit.