All seven Ionian Islands have the same history, which is very rich and varied, mostly due to the location of this group of islands which was situated on the trade and invasion routes to and from the Balkans, Italy and the Levant.
The island of Ithaca met its greatest glory around 1000 BC, when the kingdom of Ithaca was constituted by all the Ionian Islands and a part of the coast of Acarnania, in the mainland of Greece.
The first Ancient occupiers to rule the Ionians were the Mycenaeans, who have left significant traces.
During the Classical period, Ithaca and all the Ionians were home to several independent city states, which later joined one of the great leagues led by Corinth, Athens and Sparta. Those league divisions triggered to the Peloponnesian war, in 431 BC.
All the Ionian Islands were threatened by Macedonian invasions during Hellenistic times. The Romans finally managed to take control of the region in 187 BC. During the Roman times, Ithaca was part of the eparchy of Illyria.
When the Emperor Constantine divided the Roman Empire during the 4th century AD, the Ionian became part of the Eastern Byzantine Empire. Despite that, Ithaca and the rest of the Ionian Islands were taken by the Normans in 1185 and the Angevins in the 13th century.
In the 12th century it was ceded to the Orsini family and latter to the Tocchi Family. With the help of the Tocchi family, the island of Ithaca developed into an independent state with a fully equipped army and naval fleet.
This Venetians kept their power until 1479 developing the island with trade and construction of structures which the Venetian ruins can be seen today. Eventually the Venetians left Ithaca, fearing the great power of the Turks who wanted to annex the Ionian Islands.
|
|
During the following five years, the Turks and the Venetians kept arguing about the control of the Ionians.
Finally, the islands were given to the Turkish Empire.
Nevertheless, the Venetians managed to strengthened and organize their fleet and started a war against the Turks in 1499.
Finally, the Venetians regained the Ionians in 1500 AD and a treaty was signed by the Turks, mentionning that Ithaca, Kefalonia and Zakinthos belonged to the Venetians, while Leukada remained under Turkish rule.
During the Venetian occupation, the population of Ithaca, which had decreased from the frequent pirate raids and the Turkish attacks, started growing and developing again, and Vathy became the capital of the island.
The cultivation, especially of raisin, ameliorated the economical situation of the inhabitants of Ithaca, and ships were built to confront the pirates, leading to the development and the power of the island’s shipping industry and the improvement of its society.
The island was considered as semi-independent, ruled with a liberal and system of democracy, without any social classes.
The Ionians remained under the control of Venice until the latter’s defeat by Napoleon, in 1797, when they came under the rule of the French Democrats.
Ithaca became the honorary capital of Kefalonia, Lefkada and a part of Greece’s mainland.
The French were succeeded by Russia and Turkey in 1798, which were their allies, and Corfu became the capital of the Ionian States. |
|
In
1809, the Ionian island came under English rule and the
“United States of the Ionian Islands” was formed, governed
by a Constitution imposed in 1817 where Ithaca was represented
by one member (in the Ionian Senate).
During the years of the Greek Revolution against the Turks,
Ithaca offered hospitality and medical care to the revolutionaries
and participate to the War of Independence of 1821, participating
in the Hellenic Revolutionary fleet.
Productivity, trade,
private and communal education developed and increased
the leaving standard on Ithaca.
 |
In 1864, because of the international situation in Europe and of a series of negotiations, Ithaca was finally liberated and, with the other Ionian Islands, became a part of the New Greek State.
During the Second World War, the island suffered from the Italian and the German occupation.
In August of 1953, a series of strong earthquakes brought great damages to the Ionian Islands, destroying the majority of the buildings.
The rebuilding started immediately after the earthquakes, with the financial help of Europe and the United States.
In the sixties, tourism started to reach the Ionian Islands and Ithaca.
The island prepared itself to welcome the tourists by building a new road, increasing the ferries services and improving the touristy facilities of the island.
Today, the production of any kind is quite limited and tourism is one of the main sources of income for the inhabitants of Ithaca, and one of the reasons why the young people remain on the island, maintaining the population stable. |
Back:
Related: