Top historic sites in Kefalonia
Agios Georgios Castle
The Venetian Castle of Saint George in Kefalonia is located 7 km southeast of Argostoli, above the village Peratata. It has a polygonal shape and covers an area of 16,000 sq. m. This castle was originally built in the 12th century by the Byzantines but it was mostly the Venetians who gave it its present form. In fact, its external walls were built in 1504 by the Venetians. The castle is ruined today and only a few buildi ...Monastery of Agios Gerasimos
Saint Gerasimos monastery, named after the wonder-maker and protector of Kefalonia, is the most well-known monastery on the island. Gerasimos of Kefalonia was born in 1506 and comes from an aristocratic Byzantine family. He is known for very specific ascetic life, but also by the fact that he foretold his own death. He became a monk on Mount Athos and was appointed priest in Jerusalem, where he served for 12 years in the ...De Bosset Bridge
The De Bosset Bridge in Argostoli Kefalonia is the largest stone bridge on a seawater body and has been in existence since 1813 when the Swiss engineer Charles Philippe De Bosset was employed by the British Army. Thanks to his contribution in the form of study and construction of the bridge, Monsieur de Bosset was appointed as Governor of Kefalonia from 1810-1814 by the British who reigned the Ionian Islands from 1809-186 ...Assos Castle
The Assos Castle is a Venetian fortification on Kefalonia island in western Greece. Together with St George"s Castle, the castle of Assos is a fine example of military architecture on the island and one of its main tourist attractions. It overlooks the bay of Agia Kyriaki, north of Paliki, and could act as a base from which to defend the island, to protect against pirates as well as a naval invasion. The castle stand ...Sami Acropolis
Sami was a powerful fortified town whose ruins are found in Lapitha Mountain, over the current port town. This town was an autonomous and independent state with its own coin inhabited from the Paleolithic Times. A strong and densely populated town with strong fortifications, it was located on top of the cliff. Several references of Ancient Sami are found in Homer"s poems (Heliad, Odyssey) when Sami fought in the Troj ...Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings
Historic Site of the week
Monte d'Accoddi
Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.
The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.
The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.
Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.
The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.
The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.