Messolonghi

GREECE

PERSONAGES

Lord Byron

Lord Byron, was an English aristocrat, poet, politician, philohellenic and one of the most important figures of romanticism.He associated his name with the support of the revolutionary movements in Italy and Greece, and died alongside the Greek revolutionaries in Messolonghi, at the age of only 36, after a high fever . He maintained correspondence with English businessmen such as Samuel Barf for the financial support of the revolutionaries. He was one of the most ardent Philohellenic, who gave his life for the freedom of Greece. In honor of him was founded in Messolonghi the “society- non-profit ,and the house of Byron.”

Christos Kapsalis

Christos Kapsalis was a Greek notant of Messolonghi. At the last council of war, on April 8 1826, it was decided that the inhabitants should leave the town. When somebody asked "what would happen to women ,children ,the old men and the wounded?" Kapsalis said that he would lock himself in his house with those who were not able to leave and, they will be blown up. On the night of the Exodus, about 400 women, children and old men gathered in his house. When the Turkish had surrounded the house, the heroic Kapsalis threw a lit torch into the gunpowder and they were blown into the air together with about 1000 men of the enemy.

Pelades

These are the traditional wooden houses supported by piles in the water, which fishermen use as a base for their activity, in the lagoon of Messolonghi.

WHAT TO EAT

Ravani

Ingredients: semolina,water, orange juice and lemon, cinnamon, brandy,almonds, cloves, powdered sugar.

Recipe

The famous caviar of Messolonghi

The caviar with international recognition, is "hosted" in the ovaries of the female mullet fish, which abounds in the lagoon. it is a source of important energy and high nutritional value, as it contains a significant amount of vitamins.

Salted raw fish

Salted fish are specialties of the region. Mullet, sea bass and sea bream are salted for a long time with local salt, mainly during the winter months and eaten raw with lemon juice.

MUST-SEE

Trikene brothers traditional distillery

In the late 1700s the Trikene family moved to Messolonghi, from Kefalonia. Her only dowry is a recipe for ouzo. On the pedestrian street of the city, Trikene's liquor store withstands time, since 1901, making and selling ouzo, Mastic liqueur, banana, mint and cognac. The original hangout is adorned by the old marble bench that has embossed marks from the glasses. It has been awarded at the Thessaloniki International Fair in 1932 and 1951.

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Vassiladi

It is a very small uninhabited island at the entrance of the Messolonghi lagoon on which the chapel of Agios Sostis or Sozontas has been built in 1860. Saint Sostis / Sozon is also the patron saint of the Messolonghi lagoon. This Island has a great historical importance for the region of Messolonghi. On This Island, the people of Messolonghi welcomed Lord Byron with glory and honors on January 4, 1824. Here took place the great naval battle between the Turkish and the Messolonghi fleet with Admiral Andreas Miaoulis. The Battle of the historic islet in the Messolonghi lagoon on March 25, 1826 was a great heroic act of the "free besieged" shortly before the heroic exit of Messolonghi, on April 10, 1826. It is the "most glorious monument of our new history".

Louros wetland

In this area there is one of the longest beaches in Greece with a length of 17 km. You can see endless beaches overlooking the Ionian Sea, with incredible natural formations, birds and wild animals in endless natural vegetation. The sandy beach has been protected since 1974 by the RAMSAR Convention, which certifies the uniqueness and indisputable value of the site as a habitat and space ecologically identical to the wetland of Messolonghi. The flora of the area includes laurels, Cedars, sand lilies and tamarisks. It is one of the few places in Greece with sand dunes. The rich fauna of the habitat includes many birds, such as pelicans, storks and it also includes wild horses.