Lefkada Statue of Onassis

The statue of Aristotle Onassis in Nidri: Right on the port of Nidri, there is a statue dedicated to Aristotle Onassis, the famous Greek businessman who is considered one of the wealthiest men in the world ever. The residents of Nidri loved him a lot, as he was frequently coming with a boat from Skoprios to take a walk or eat in the local taverns.

The bronze statue was created by the sculptor Efthimis Kaleyras. It stands more than two metres tall and depicts Aristotle Onassis standing upright with his jacket slung over his shoulder. The statue is positioned so that Onassis' face faces his private island opposite Nιdri, Skorpios. He and his two children, Alexander and Christina, are buried there.

Aristotle Onassis was born in 1906 in Smyrna, modern Turkey, to Greek parents. In 1923, he went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he started making his fortune from the tobacco trade, oil trade and shipping. Gradually, he was established as an independent shipowner in the field of oil tankers. In 1946, Onasis got married to Athina Livanou, a wealthy woman, and had two children, Alexander and Christina. In 1963, Onasis bought the tiny island of Skorpios from the Greek State, just opposite Nidri, Lefkada, and made it his summer resort.

While he was married, Onassis met opera diva Maria Callas. They were both married and had a passionate relationship that lasted for many years. Rumors even say that Callas had given birth to their son who died a few hours after he was born. Their relationship ended in 1968 when Onassis betrayed her and got married to Jacqueline Kennedy, widow of US President John Kennedy, on his private island, Skorpios.

Three years later, Alexander, his beloved son, died in an air crash. This devastated Aristotle and he never managed to recover. He died in Paris in 1975 from a complication of myasthenia gravis from which he had been suffering for years.