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Ζάκυνθος
/ Zante
Fior di Levante,
the flower of the Levant, Zakynthos (Zante) is an island with many faces.
Its tumultuous history is similar to that of the other Ionian islands.
Conquered in 455 B.C. by the Atheneans, then the Spartans and then the
Macedonians Zante eventually fell under Roman rule in 191 B.C. Zante was
then part of the Eastern Roman Empire - better known as the Byzantine
Empire. In the 12th century A.D. Zante is conquered by the Normans. In
1483, as with the rest of the Ionian isles, Zante falls under Venetian
rule.
Zante rebels against
Venetian rule in 1628 and manages to remain free for 5 years until 1632
when the 'rebello di popolaro' is finally quashed. This was the first
rebellion of the new, then still emerging, middle class in Europe.
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During the Napoleonic era
Zante changes hands on numerous occassion among the participants. 1797
French, 1800 declares independence, then another French occupation
followed by a Russo-Ottoman occupation and then a British occupation.
Zante is established as the capital of the Ionian Federation by the
British. In 1864 Zante joins Greece with the rest of the Ionian
isles.
The city
Old buildings and mazelike streets, domed bell-towers and
historic churches, the cosmopolitan Marina Strata and the beautiful, open,
squares, the hill of Strani and Bohali, the old Venetian Castle, are the main
attractions of Zakynthos town. The town's harbor, opposite the Peloponese, is
the main harbor of the island and is built next to the site of the ancient
acropolis of the island, the Psofida. Zakynthos was hit by two major earthquakes
in 1948 and 1953 with much of the city being levelled. The city has been
re-constructed in traditional style however some parts were left permanently
scarred as though the style is traditional the building methods were not and
there is only so much you can do to hide concrete. However, the city is still
beautiful and retains much of its original charm with many open-air squares, old
churches, statues and monuments dotting the town reminding visitors of Zante's
long, and tumultuous, history.
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