Zakynthos Town
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Zakynthos Municipality (Zakynthos) Δημοτική Κοινότητα Ζακυνθίων (Ζάκυνθος) |
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| Basic data | |||
| Country |
 Greece
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| region | Ionian islands | ||
| Regional district | Zakynthos | ||
| local community | Zakynthos | ||
| Parish | Zakynthos | ||
| Geographic coordinates | 37 ° 47 ' N , 20 ° 54' E | ||
| Height above d. M. |
10 m (average) |
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| surface | 5.717 km² | ||
| Residents | 9733 (2011) | ||
| LAU-1 code no. | 33010101 | ||
| Local division | 2 | ||
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The city of Zakynthos ( Greek Ζάκυνθος ( f. Sg. )) Is the main town and administrative seat of the Greek island and municipality of Zakynthos and is located on the south east coast of the island.
The core city with around 9,800 inhabitants formed the center of a municipality until 2010, which was expanded in 2010 to include the new municipality of Zakynthos, which encompasses the entire island including the Strofades , i.e. the area of the Zakynthos prefecture that existed until 2010. The community that existed until then has since been a district (dimotiki enotita), in which the core city is run as a district or 'urban community' (dimotiki kinotita) .
geography
The town of Zakynthos is located on a natural harbor north of Skopos Hill on the peninsula of the same name and west of Bochali Hill. This also represents the western boundary of the city. The Venetian fortress and the Bochali district lie on its ridges. To the north of the Bochali hill is the Strani hill, which runs out into the sea in Cape Kryoneri. The distance from the city of Zakynthos to Athens is approx. 300 km, to Kyllini in the Peloponnese over the strait of the Zakynthos Canal approx. 10 km. The archipelago of the Strofaden, which is located 35 km south of the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea, also belongs to the municipality of Zakynthos
history
The city of Zakynthos is an ancient Achaean foundation . Systematic and / or large-scale excavations to depict the ancient settlement have not yet taken place. The settlement of the core city area has been continuous since ancient times.
The Normans, who conquered Zakynthos in 1185, established the visible western influence on urban design and architecture. Under the long rule of the Republic of Venice (14th to the end of the 18th century), these shaped the cityscape. Based on St. Mark's Square in Venice, the Platia Agiou Markou (Agios Markos Square) in Zakynthos (city), which also has a Catholic church on its western side, was created. The Venetian influence was also reflected in the city's cultural life: it became a center of the Ionian School of Music; After the Turkish siege of Candia (now Heraklion ) on Crete, many Cretan citizens came to Zakynthos from 1669. The first music school of modern Greece was also founded in Zakynthos (city). Literature also flourished under the expiring Venetian and English rule in the 18th and 19th centuries. An exponent of this culture is the city's most famous son, the poet Dionysios Solomos . British rule ended in 1864: afterwards the city, like the Republic of the Ionian Islands, came under the Kingdom of Greece. After the Second World War , the city received recognition for the behavior of its mayor Loukas Carrer and the Greek Orthodox bishop during the German occupation from September 1943 to October 1944: the extradition of almost 300 people of Jewish faith was refused and the people were hidden.
The place was destroyed several times during the sometimes severe earthquakes on Zakynthos and each time it was rebuilt. A severe earthquake on August 12, 1953 destroyed the city almost completely: in addition to the tremors, the subsequently erupted fire destroyed buildings and art treasures. The reconstruction was partly based on old building plans, so that the city could keep its old face. Today Zakynthos shows itself as a mixture of adapted new buildings and reconstructed architecture.
Thanks to the construction method, which was adapted to the earthquake risk, with deep foundations and reinforced concrete pillars, an earthquake of magnitude M w 6.4 on October 26, 2018 only caused slight damage (shop window shattered, a crack formed along the harbor promenade).
population
The population development of the city of Zakynthos after 1811 was as follows:
- 1811: 14,124 (city)
- 1857: 20,000 (city)
- 1860: 20,000 (city)
- 1863: 18,000 (city)
- 1991: 13,000 (city)
In 1811 there were 275 people of Jewish faith in Zakynthos (city).
traffic
The Zakynthos international airport "Dionysos Solomos" is located about four kilometers south of the city and north of the village of Kalamaki. Many flights are handled from there, especially in summer.
The port of Zakynthos is a port of call for ferry boats and a fishing port. The port is of particular importance as the starting point for the ferry connection from Zakynthos to Kyllini in the Peloponnese. Many excursion and sightseeing boat tours also start their journey in Zakynthos Town.
Attractions
Harbor Piers - Surroundings along the promenades
The Odos Lombárdou , also known under its old Venetian name Strada Marína , is a highly frequented mainly by tourists with restaurants and shops lined the harbor road. It connects the two harbor piers, the Agios-Dionysios-Pier in the south and the Agios-Nikólaos-Pier in the north of the port of Zakynthos.
Odós 21. Maioú , the city's shopping street, runs from St. Mark's Square in a southerly direction, which merges into Odós Alexándrou Róma from the height of the island administration, a building rebuilt in the Venetian style with arcade arches after the earthquake of 1953 . This promenade is characterized by arcades that run on both sides of the street and cover the sidewalks.
The simple resistance memorial , separated from the street by a lattice gate (parallel street above Odós Alexándrou Róma ), commemorates the mayor Loukàs Karrér, who was in office during the Second World War, and Archbishop Chrisóstomos Dimítrios , who saved the lives of several Jews by "refusing to give orders". After the Nazi occupation of Zakynthos, Mayor Karrér was ordered to write down the names of all Jews living in the city on a list. However, he only wrote his own name and that of Archbishop Dimítrios on the list , indicating that they should be killed rather than the name of a Jew disclosed. The two also arranged for the Jews to be warned in good time so that they could get to safety in good time. Until the earthquake of 1953, the city's synagogue stood here.
The Análipsi Church , a church building from the 16th century, is in the immediate vicinity of the memorial .
Island administration building
Resistance memorial
Agios Análipsi Church
Agios Dionýsios Church - the area around Agios Dionýsios pier
The Agios-Dionýsios church directly opposite the harbor pier of the same name is the city's landmark. The church, built between 1925 and 1948 on the site of an older church, was only slightly damaged in the severe earthquake of 1953. The campanile (bell tower) standing apart is striking . The interior of the three-aisled church is almost completely painted, richly decorated with many frescoes, the room is illuminated with silver Venetian chandeliers. Several paintings describe the life and work of Saint Dionysius . His bones are kept in an artfully decorated silvery sarcophagus in the right side chapel.
Right next to the Dionysioskirche stands the imposing building of the monastery of Strophaden and St. Dionysios As a result of continuous pirate attacks left the monks, the Metamorphosis Monastery on the Strophadeninsel Stamfani at the beginning of the 18th century and settled in Zakynthos town down. In 1716, the body of St. Dionysius was also transferred to Zakynthos. A few monks still live in the large building complex of the monastery. The church treasure museum, which opened in 2000, is also housed in the monastery building . The main attraction of the museum is the eight meter wide painting of St. Dionysius by Nikolaos Koutouzis from 1766.
The Faneroméni Church , originally built in the 15th century, was almost completely destroyed in the earthquake of 1953, and has been rebuilt true to the original. The belfry suffered less damage in the earthquake.
Agios Dionysios Church - side view
Convent of the Strophads with bell tower
Faneroméni Church (exterior view)
Faneroméni Church (interior view)
Platía Solomoú - the area around Agios Nikólaos pier
The Platía Solomoú (Dionysios Solomos Square) is the most important and largest square in the city, directly adjacent to the northern port of Agios-Nikolaos-Pier .
Right in the center of the square is the statue of the Greek poet Dionysios Solomos , who also gave the square its name. In the base of the statue are a few verses of the Greek national anthem he wrote .
The Statue of Liberty shows a goddess of victory stretching a wreath of olive branches to the sky. The statue commemorates the state independence of Greece in 1821.
At the southern end of the square is the Nikolauskirche . It was built in 1562 by seafarers in honor of their patron saint . Originally the church was located on a small island off Zakynthos, it was only in the course of time that it was connected to the mainland by landfills. The freestanding Byzantine style bell tower also originally served as a lighthouse. The church was almost completely destroyed in the earthquake of 1953, and it was subsequently rebuilt true to the original. The interior of the church is decorated with many frescoes and wall paintings. Also worth seeing are the two preserved, carved gold-plated iconostases from the 16th century. In the church there are some priestly robes of the island saint Dionysius (in a showcase to the right of the entrance).
Not only the building of the library , built in 1628 , was destroyed in the earthquake of 1956, but also many historical books and works. The building was rebuilt according to the original plans by Ernst Ziller and now houses not only the library with over 50,000 mostly historical books and documents, but also the cultural center and a cinema.
The Museum of Post-Byzantine Art is located in a bright building on the northwest side of the square . After the earthquake in 1953, the building was rebuilt true to the original in the same place and the museum opened in 1960.
Statue of the poet Dionysios Solomos - in the background Museum of Post-Byzantine Art
Statue of Liberty at Dionysios Solomos Square
Nicholas Church at Dionysios Solomos Square
Library and cultural center at Dionysios Solomos Square
Post-Byzantine Art Museum, Zakynthos City
St. Mark's Square with St. Mark's Church and the surrounding area
In the northern part of the city is the paved triangular Platía Agíou Márkou (St. Mark's Square).
The Catholic St. Mark's Church , located directly on St. Mark's Square , the only Catholic church in the city, looks much simpler than the city's Orthodox churches. Originally built by the Venetians in 1518, it was completely destroyed in the 1953 earthquake and then rebuilt. Only a few institutions inside the church could be saved, such as a portrait about the age of the evangelist Mark.
The Solomós Museum is located in a building with an attached bell tower to the left of St. Mark's Church . The grave of the Greek national poet Dionysios Solomos is part of the museum as a mausoleum. Solomós shares his final resting place with his contemporary Andréas Kálvos .
Manor house of the Róma family with Kiría ton Angélon church
The stately building at the northern end of the city was erected in 1660. In the meantime (1814 to 1864) the house served as the residence of the island administration. In 1880 the building became the property of the Róma family, who were very influential on Zakynthos. The manor of the Róma family was rebuilt by descendants of the family after it was destroyed by the severe earthquake of 1953. From 2007 the house has housed a museum with extensive documentation on the life of the aristocratic family from the 18th to the 20th century.
Right next to the mansion is the church of Kiría ton Angélon , built in 1687 in the Spanish style (dt. Ruler of the angels ). The archangel Michael, a Byzantine double-headed eagle and a Maria with child are carved into the yellowish limestone of the facade. The interior of the church is decorated with wall paintings and frescoes. The iconostasis comes from Crete and is decorated with an icon of Mary by the artist Panaiotis Doxaras (1662–1729).
Kastro ruins and Lófos Stráni
Above today's capital, on the Kastro hill, are the few remains and ruins of the original Zakynthos. In the time of ancient Greece, the city was quite large and magnificent, with an acropolis , a temple of Apollo and a stadium. The medieval Byzantine city was also built on top of the hill. Although a new town gradually emerged on the coast during the Venetian times in the 16th century, the old walls on the hill were expanded into a mighty castle, the "Kástro". During the British rule, the English established a garrison on the Kastros . The ruins that are still preserved today can be viewed as a large open-air museum and embedded in a large park for an admission fee.
To the north, starting from the entrance to the Kastro ruins, stands the Zoodóchos Pigí church . Inside the church, the gilded altar wall is particularly impressive.
Next north correctly follows the first quarter Bochali the, following LOFOS Stráni , a small hill with a small park. On the viewing platform there is a bust of the poet Dionysios Solomos with a plaque. This is where Dionysius wrote the poem "Hymn of Freedom" in May 1823, the verses of which were later incorporated into the Greek national anthem.
Personalities
Famous people associated with Zakynthos are:
- Dionysios Solomos (* 1798, Zakynthos; † 1857, Corfu ): Greek poet , lyricist of the Greek national anthem .
- Antonio Cagnoli (* 1743, Zakynthos; † 1816, Verona , Italy): Italian astronomer .
- Ugo Foscolo (* 1778, Zakynthos; † 1827, Turnham Green, London): Italian poet.
- Andreas Kalvos (* 1792, Zakynthos; † 1869, Louth, Great Britain): Greek poet.
- Pavlos Carrer (* 1829, Zakynthos; † 1896, Zakynthos): Greek composer .
- Gennaios Kolokotronis (* 1803, Zakynthos; † 1868): Greek politician , Prime Minister 1862.
- Loukas Karreris , also Lukas Carrer: Greek politician, mayor of Zakynthos during World War II.
- Dionysios Tsokos (* 1814, Zakynthos; † 1862, Athens ): Greek painter .
- Konstantinos Iatras (* 1811, Zakynthos; † 1888, Zakynthos): Greek painter.
- Elisabeth Moutsan-Martinegnou (* 1801, Zakynthos; † 1832, Zakynthos): Greek writer .
- Nikolaos Kandounis (* 1767, Zakynthos; † 1834, Zakynthos): Greek writer.
- Nikolaos Koutouzis (* 1741, Zakynthos; † 1813, Zakynthos): Greek writer.
- Dionysios Thavoularis (* 1840, Zakynthos; † 1928): Greek actor .
- Dionysios Kallivokas (* 1806, Zakynthos; † 1877, Athens): Greek painter.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Results of the 2011 census at the National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
- ↑ Seaquake in Greece frightens thousands. In: The time . October 26, 2018, accessed October 26, 2018 .
- ^ John Davy: Notes and observations on the Ionian Islands and Malta: with some remarks on Constantinople and Turkey, and on the system of quarantine as at present conducted . tape 2 . Smith, Elder & Co., London 1842, p. 32 .
- ^ Georg Friedrich Kolb: Handbook of comparative statistics and national state and national studies . Meyer & Zeller Verlag, Zurich 1857, p. 293 .
- ^ Georg Friedrich Kolb: Handbook of comparative statistics and national state and national studies . Förstnersche Buchhandlung (Arthur Felix Verlag), Leipzig 1862, p. 380 .
- ^ Georg Friedrich Kolb: Handbook of comparative statistics and national state and national studies . Arthur Felix Verlag, Leipzig 1865, p. 412 .
- ^ John Davy: Notes and observations on the Ionian Islands and Malta: with some remarks on Constantinople and Turkey, and on the system of quarantine as at present conducted . tape 2 . Smith, Elder & Co., London 1842, p. 33 .
- ↑ Von Bormann, Alexander: Non-simultaneities in European Romanticism. Königshausen & Neumann, Würzburg 2006. pp. 119ff. ISBN 3-8260-3001-X .
Web links
- Official travel website ( Memento of April 22, 2009 in the Internet Archive )