Zakynthos, the most southernmost of the Ionian
islands, owes its name to the son of Dardanos, the king of Troy,
who according to myth built the first city here. It is also
mentioned in the Iliad. all who came to this island fell under
its spell. The Venetians baptized it 'the flower of the Orient'.
Others gave it just as evocative names like "earthly paradise",
and "Perfumed Isle", while Dionysios Solomos, the father
of modern Greek poetry and a native son, wrote "Zakynthos
could make one forget the Elysian Fields".
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No 0ne who has been here can forget the emerald
green of its sea, its pine-studded mountains, its musical people
and their hospitality. The first thing to welcome you, as soon
as you step off the ferryboat, isthe town of Zakynthos. Though
it lost all but three of its buildings in the earthquake of
1953, the town has been meticulously reconstructed and its former
layout has been faithfully preserved. Zakynthos today has pleasantly
arcaded wide streets, spacious squares imposing buildings and
cheerful houses. The Museum of Post-Byzantine Art on Solomos
Square contains treasures salvaged from the island's historic
churches.
On the waterfront, one should visit the churches
of Agios Dionysios, the island's patron saint, with its tall
campanile, and of Agios Nikolas tou Molou, a churchout of the
italian Renaissance with, surprisingly, a 17th century Byzantine
belfry. If you walk along the flagstoned coastal promenade,
the so called Strata Marina between, thetwo churches, at dusk,
you'll get the true flavour of the town. Sometimes it seems
as ifthe whole population is out enjoying the ritual of the
evening stroll. The street is lined with small cafes and shops
selling folk art. Don't leave before tasting the famous Zakynthos
"mandolato"or nougat; it's areal treat.
The town is watched over by the
Venetian fortress on the hill above. Only the gate, outer walls
and battlements still stand. But from
this vantage point a spectacular view can be had
at the harbour, fertile
inland plain and beaches as far as the
eye can see.
Nearby is another hill, the Lofos
Strani where Dionysios
Solomos composed the famous,
the father ot modern Greek poetry
"Hymn to Liberty", which became the Greek
National Anthem. Zakynthos
is almost triangular in shape, with two green mountainous
promontories extending into the sea to term the huge bay of
Laganas.
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Zakynthos photo album
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