Kefallinia and Ithaki: A Historical and Architectural Odyssey

The history of the two Ionian islands off the west coast of Greece begins with Homer s reference to Ithaka in his Odyssey, a description of archaeological finds, and a depiction of the Tetrapolis of Kefallinia and the historic city of Ithaka. Then in the Byzantine period when city life collapsed the monasteries, with detailed descriptions here for the first time in English, became the centers. In the Latin era newly created feudal barons built fortress-like manor houses. After Venice occupied the islands at the beginning of the 16th century and remained for nearly 300 years their heritage was the superb Renaissance and Baroque style mansions of the nobility. After Venice fell to Napoleon the great powers agreed to the establishment of the United States of the Ionian Islands under British protection. The first British governors of Kefallinia undertook an impressive amount of civic construction with archival photographs depicting an imaginary tour of mid-19th century Argostoli. The book is lavishly illustrated book with nearly 400 photographs and drawings uniquely depicting the architecture and complementing the detailed history of all periods.