inhabitation.
According to sources, the economy of Mesolongi was based on agriculture and livestock-farming, although it was related to the lagoon as well - not only in terms of fishing, but also in terms of piracy. Anyway, what started being a fishermen settlement became a small naval centre two centuries after its founding.
By the 18th century the ships of Mesolongi transported materials along all the Greek seas, and even on the Atlantic Ocean, which constituted the top of its development. By the end of this same century, the naval sovereignty of Mesolongi was undeniable.
The history continues in the following century, when Mesolongi took part in the anti-Turkish movements, taking the risk of losing peace and wealth. This is where a government was created, with the intellectual Panagiotis Palamas leading it. According to this risk, the bad consequences did not take long to appear. The powerful fleet was destroyed and the city was burned. The inhabitants had no other option apart from leaving the town and moving to the Ionian Islands. |
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along with his son and the students and teachers of the Palamaikis School.
But things got difficult again, when Turkish men invaded Mesolongi in the 19th century. They gained the support of the noblemen, among which Palamas was included, and declared their own Revolution.
After killing many other important men, they sought the city, and extended the siege to the sea. The Mesologites tried to negotiate with the Turkish, and managed to gain some time until Hydra broke the siege and brought war supplies.
Although the Turks tried to continue with the siege, many Mesologites escaped, and caused serious damage to their army, so they finally decided to retire.
However, they made a sudden attack before leaving, which was not successeful as in spite of taking place at an unusual moment –the dawn of Christmas- the inhabitants of Mesolongi were previously advised by a Greek consultant; so the Turks finally left in 1822. But the confrontations did not end in a definitive way.
A few years later, they sought the city again. The Greeks resisted, and their fleet persecuted the Turkish one, but the situation got too difficult when the Egyptian army took part, putting by the opposite side. After sending a bomb to Mesolongi, the Greek fleet was forced to retire.
The area also received the escaping residents of Vasiladi, as it was conquered as well. |
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advised the enemies about these escaping plans, so they were prepared beforehand. When they asked the Mesologites to retreat, some of them did it while others continued to fight.
Finally, a total of 1300 warriors and a hundred women and children managed to escape.
Some of them, then intended to help those who could not escape by coming back, but they were slaughtered. This exodus was positively taken by foreign countries, many of which contributed by taking diplomatic actions against the foreign rulers.
To honour these fighters, the municipality has created today the Garden of Heroes, in the centre of the town, with monuments dedicated the heroes of the Greek Revolution.
This time, Mesolongi faced the Turkish domination for about a total of 3 years, until it was finally given to the Greeks. Immediately the city recovered its inhabitants, who re-organised themselves and worked a lot in order to re-establish the city.
In fact, the city's developement was promoted by Spiridon and Charilaos Trikoupis, the two prime-ministers who descended from Mesolongi. |
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