The history of Lefkada

The history of Lefkada has its traces back in the early centuries. According to Aristoteles, the Leleges were the first inhabitants of the island.

The archeological research of the German archeologist W.Dorpfeld claims that the first evidence of life in Lefkada exists in the neolythic era in the middle of the 4th millenium b.C.. Dorpfeld also supports in his theory that Lefkada is the homeric Ithaca.
The ancient people Ahei are followed by the ancient Doriis who establish the town of Nirikos.

In 625 b.C. the Corinthians took over the island and constructed the sea path of Lefkada, one of the biggest achievements of the Antiquity, considering the fact that they had to eliminate the thin land which connected the island with the mainland.
Lefkada participated in the sea battle of Salamina in 480 b.C., in the battle of Plataies and the Peloponnesian War in 431 b.C..In 338 b.C. it was conquered by the father of Alexander the Great , Filippos 2nd.

Later the Romans became the new conquers of the island. After the establishment of Nicopolis from Octavious August around 31 b.C. , many Lefkadians colonise the surrounding area.
During the Byzantine era the island was given by the nobleman Lord Nikiforos 1st to the Count Orsini who began to build the castle of Santa Mavra.
After that a period of…… Venice follows.

The Venetians transferred the capital from the mainland of the island to its contemporary location. They took advantage of the agricultural production (oil, serials,wool) and organised the social life with administration, obligatory taxes and plat book.
In 1797 when Napoleon Vonaparte destroyed Venice , Lefkada was taken over by the French and finally in 1810 by the English.
In 1815 with the Treaty of Paris the Seven Islands became an independent state with the name “United states of the Seven Islands” under the protection of Great Britain.
In 1864 the Seven Islands are re-united with Mother Greece and from then on they have a common historical route.
This was, in a few lines, the long and hard history of Lefkada.