Galaxidi is a seaside town in the former province of Parnassida in the prefecture of Fokida and belongs to the enlarged Municipality of Delphi. It is located on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth and, specifically, on the west side of the Gulf of Itea. It is well known for its shipping in the last century as well as for its picturesqueness, which is why it attracts many visitors, especially during the summer months. Its permanent population, according to the 2011 Census, amounts to 2,011 inhabitants.
Designation
The name Galax (e) itself first appeared in the
period between the 6th and 9th century AD. There are many versions
about the origin of the name. Linguistic studies converge on the
view that the place name comes from the medieval phytonym Galatsida
(herbaceous plant that abounds in the area), which is reduced to the
later type of milk, -idos and therefore etymologically correct is
the spelling with -i-: Galaxidi. The traveler Dodwell claimed that
the name came from the words milk and acidic ("similar to acid,
sour"). The view that it comes from the words milk and ixos (from
the milky viscous sticky juice that flows when its trunk is injured)
is not morphologically correct. The heterogeneous view is widespread
that the place name comes from the Galaxidis family that had land in
the area. It was even rumored that Galaxides was the Byzantine
toparch of this small subject and the one who rebuilt the ruined
city. In reality, however, the surname Galaxidis comes from the
toponym Galaxidi. There is also a myth about the origin of the name
for a mermaid named Galaxa. Prometheus had fallen in love with her
for this and stole her.
In antiquity
During the period of
antiquity, the area of Galaxidi was inhabited by the Ozolos or
Esperios Lokros in the 8th century BC. In this place there was the
ancient city of Chaleion or Halion. Halion was one of the most
important cities since there was the sanctuary of Apollo. Its
inhabitants were mainly engaged in shipping and therefore in trade.
It is worth noting that until recently scholars believed that
Galaxidi was a continuation of Oianthi or Oianthia. Of course, this
view is not considered acceptable today since Pausanias states that
Oianthi was located in the area of Nafpaktos. Polybius also ranks
it among the cities of Aetolia.
The area is characterized by
a continuous presence with important findings since the Early
Helladic period (Anemokampi, Pelekaris, Kefalari, the island of
Apipsia). Important is the Mycenaean settlement at Villa and the
fortified geometric settlement on the hill of Agios Athanasios
(around 700 BC). In the archaic and classical era (7th-4th century
BC), in parallel with the settlement at Villa, the religious and
administrative center of the city was developed in Agios Vlasis.
Around 300 BC. the present site was inhabited and its fortification
wall was built. Perhaps at that time the Aetolian Commonwealth had
already gained control, which fortified the city. Halion continued
to be inhabited knowing particular prosperity until the 2nd c. A.D.
In the British Museum there are two bronze inscriptions of the 5th
century BC. where the treaty between Oianthia and Chaleio is
written. The same museum also houses another 97 bronze vessels and
utensils, while archaeological objects from Galaxidi are currently
kept in 15 museums around the world. In the Archaeological Museum of
Galaxidi one can see findings from Halion and the wider area.
Byzantine era
Galaxidi was first documented in the 10th
century. During the reign of Basil II, in 981 or 996, Galaxidi was
conquered, with dramatic consequences for the inhabitants, by the
Bulgarians of Tsar Samuel. The inhabitants left the city and settled
on the islands of the Gulf of Itea, and Galaxidi was not inhabited
for the next 50 years. The calamities for the city of Galaxidi do
not end here. In 1054 an epidemic wiped out many inhabitants while
in 1064 an invasion of the Ouzos resulted in their violent expulsion
from the city for two whole years.
Galaxidi was looted again
in 1081 and 1147 by the Normans. After the Fourth Crusade, Galaxidi
was initially part of the Authority of the Salons, but was recovered
around 1211 by the Despotate of Epirus. After 1269 it came under the
control of the lords of Thessaly, who had their seat in Ypati. In
1311 the city was conquered by the Catalans and came under the rule
of the Duchy of Athens.
The city was first occupied by the
Ottomans in 1394, but was recaptured by Theodore I Palaiologos after
a while. It fell for a short time in the hands of the people of
Ioannina in 1403/04. The castle of the city, of which not even a
trace survives today, was strengthened in 1447/48 by Constantine
Kantakouzenos, but this did not prevent its final occupation by the
Ottomans a little later.
Ottoman rule
The era
of Ottoman rule began in 1446. In 1494 the seat of Bey was moved
from Salona to Galaxidi. The first Bey to be appointed was
Hatzi-Babas. Finally in 1502, following the order of the High
Gate, the headquarters returned to Salona. It is worth noting
that during the entire period of the Turkish Occupation, no Turk
lived in Galaxidi.
In 1655, the Gulf of Corinth and
Patras were flooded by Douratzibeis, who came into conflict with
the people of Galaxidi for an insignificant reason. The ensuing
naval battle resulted in the defeat of Durajibey, who vowed
revenge. Easter of the same year suddenly attacked and conquered
Galaxidi. This disaster resulted in the flight of the
inhabitants of Galaxidi to the mountains and specifically to
Pentoria. They returned to ruined Galaxidi only after the death
of Durajibei in 1669.
The prosperity of the Galactic navy
began in the period 1720-1730, ie immediately after the treaty
of Pasarovic (1718). In 1774, after the Kyutsuk-Kainartzi
Treaty, most Galaxidi ships raised the Russian flag. A great
figure in the struggle for Independence was played by Ioannis
Papadiamantopoulos, a prominent figure in the development of
shipping. Papadiamantopoulos had gathered the trade of the
Peloponnese and all of Western Greece. In order to free himself
from the Mesolonghi navy, he started building ships in Galaxidi.
In 1803 the Galaxidi fleet numbered 50 ships. The most common
commercial ports of the Galaxidi ships were: Marseille, Istanbul
and various other ports in Spain and Italy.
Revolution of
1821
The first consultations for the start of the Revolution
in Galaxidi had started at the beginning of March, following the
initiative of Ioannis Papadiamantopoulos. The bishop of Salona
Isaia, Odysseas Androutsos, Panourgias, Giannis Gouras and the
nobles of the area took part in it. On March 26, a body of 300
men left for Amfissa. It is worth noting that it was the first
city in Central Greece to raise the flag of Liberation. The
captains and the merchants immediately offered their ships in
favor of the homeland while many people from Galaxidi rushed to
fight in Hani of Gravia. In fact, in order to further strengthen
the revolution, they published a kind of newspaper, the first of
the revolution, which was later called a pseudo-newspaper due to
its exaggerations. What is certain is that the offer of the city
of Galaxidi in the liberation struggle of 1821 can not be
questioned by anyone.
The catastrophes of Galaxidi
Galaxidi suffered three major disasters during the Liberation
Struggle.
The first disaster
On September 8, 1821, the
fleet of Ishmael Bey Gibraltar sailed for the Gulf of Corinth
with 30 armed barges and 2 frigates. On September 22, a British
ship led the Turkish fleet to Galaxidi. The people of Galaxidi
together with 200 men of Panourgias defended vigorously. At
night, however, the men of Panourgias retreated as they did not
have the necessary experience to deal with the naval shelling.
The inhabitants, seeing the rift in the defense of the city but
also the inadequacy of the fighters, left Galaxidi. On the
morning of September 23, the Turks invaded the city and
destroyed it. Inside the port they found 90 ships, 13 of them
were warships while the rest were small commercial ones.
According to historians, the chances of saving Galaxidi were
minimal after it fell victim to the first political disputes.
The catastrophe is due to the inaction of the people of Galaxidi
but also to the interest tactics of the politicians of the time.
The second & third disaster
In May 1825, Kioutachis, in
order to secure his rear so that he could besiege Messolonghi
safely, attacked Galaxidi and destroyed it. Of course, this
second disaster was less painful since the Galaxidi ships were
not moored in the port. But a worse catastrophe ensued, in
November of the same year, this time by Ibrahim, who managed to
hijack ships and capture many women and children, who were sent
as slaves to Egypt. After this disaster, the inhabitants left
and settled in Hydra, Corinth, Loutraki and others. Much later
the government managed to bring back some Greek prisoners from
Egypt.
1940-1944
Galaxidi, like other Greek cities, sent many young men
to the front. The first occupying troops settled on May 15, 1941 and
quickly occupied the girls' school, the primary school, the
Koutsoulieris house, the Drosopoulou house and the Platoni house.
Most of the soldiers were Italians since the administration of
Central Greece had been taken over by the Italian authorities. In
the following days, the current army officers were arrested while
the Italians demanded from the inhabitants to hand over their
weapons. In January 1942 the Italians moved to Itea. In March of the
same year, the two Italian spies disappeared, with the result that
the Italian commander intervened and gave a 48-hour ultimatum to the
inhabitants of Galaxidi to return back safe and sound. The ultimatum
ended and so the Italians threatened the city with arson.
Nevertheless, the timely intervention of the common leader Loukas
Platonis as well as of the captain Ioannis Andreopoulos saved the
city from certain destruction. The following years were extremely
difficult for the people of Galaxidi since their hunger had
impoverished them.
The most unfortunate year for Galaxidi was
that of 1944. On February 7, 1944, the Germans moved menacingly
towards Villa Zacharia, where some English officers were staying. At
the same time, they arrested every passer-by they encountered.
Seventeen-year-old Theodoros Barliakos fell dead in the ensuing
uproar. After chasing the English officers, without success, they
headed to the market where they had gathered about a hundred
Galaxidiotes. Eleven of them were arrested and sent to Athens,
except for three where they were sent to Germany. Two more incidents
occurred in 1944, in which Galaxidi was threatened. The first took
place on March 13, when guerrillas seized a German ship with
supplies, which was anchored in the port due to bad weather, and
captured its two German escorts. The commander threatened the
inhabitants of the city with total destruction if they did not
return the prisoners within three days. But an accidental injury of
the commander led to his replacement and therefore to the salvation
of the city. A few months later, in July, about 800 Germans
surrounded the city in order to capture the British officers.
Eventually they failed but for revenge they arrested 15 people from
Galaxidi, who after the intervention of the community leader were
released after 2-3 months. The last incident occurred in August
1944, when the Germans excluded Galaxidi from the Red Cross.
The end of World War II found Galaxidi counting 421 dead.
Naval state
The golden period of prosperity for Galaxidi was
between 1829 and 1912. Of course, from the time of the Ottoman
Empire, the people of Galaxidi had started to deal with shipping
with great success. The starting point of the era of shipping
development can be mentioned in 1774, when the Kyutsuk-Kainartzi
treaty was made. Ioannis Papadiamantopoulos played an important
role. In 1803 Galaxidi numbered 50 ships and was one of the five
cities with the most ships in Greece.
After the revolution
and after the city recovered from the disasters, shipping began to
grow again. In the three years 1838-1840 Galaxidi had an average of
21 shipbuildings per year. The city shipyard could compete with the
foreign ones, while it was more profitable since the construction of
a ship cost half as much as the foreign shipyards. Merchant ships
sailed in the Black Sea, Azov, Danube, Mediterranean, England, etc.
The local community with appropriate actions tried to encourage
young people to engage in trade and shipping for this and founded a
Naval School, which taught great personalities such as Efthymios
Kavasilas. In the major ports of Europe, namely Livorno, Odessa,
Trieste, Marseille, Nice, etc. Many Galaxidi shipping agents were
established to coordinate their operations. As demand increased,
more yards were created. In 1860 it is estimated that the Galaxidi
ships reached 300. Until 1900 there was a continuous development of
shipping but at the beginning of 1900 there was a decrease in
merchant ships. A typical example is that while in 1892 Galaxidi had
126 sailboats, in 1903 they were reduced to 92. In contrast to the
decline of trade, the steamers of Galaxidi managed to be maintained
until the 1930s.
The decline of shipping was followed by the demographic problem
which arose almost immediately. The main reason was because due to
the few jobs the people of Galaxidi, who usually worked as captains
or snouts on foreign ships, had to move to Piraeus where all the
shipping companies were gathered.
Spiritual development
Education
With the proclamation of the independence of the Greek
Nation, the people of Galaxidi undertook the expenses for the
construction of a school building. The school started operating in
the period 1830-1831. The unified school was then divided into boys
and girls. In 1880, on the initiative of Mayor Loukeris, the girls'
school was built. In about 1850, the "Greek school administration"
was founded in Galaxidi, which offered better quality education.
Until then, the residents were forced to send their children to
Amfissa. Eventually such schools were abolished in 1929. Today there
is a normal primary, high school and lyceum.
The people of
Galaxidi paid special attention to naval studies since it was their
main occupation. Thus, by decree of the government in 1867, a naval
school was established in the city of Galaxidi as well as in Hydra,
Spetza, Syros and Argostoli. The first teacher was Efthymios
Kavasilas, in whose house the naval school was housed. The school
then acquired a privately owned building. In 1885 the school ceased
to operate. In 1963, a naval high school was established by decree,
which was transformed into a General High School in 1980, following
the demands of the residents. Also, until 1990, the "Higher Public
School of Merchant Marine Galaxidi-Ploarchon" operated, but it was
merged with that of Preveza. The "Galaxidi School of Tourism
Professions" operates in its place today.
Carnival
The
week of Carnival in Galaxidi is of special importance, especially on
Holy Monday where the custom of flour smearing takes place. The
custom is relatively simple. Residents gather at the port on Monday
afternoon and are provided with bags of flour and paint. Then they
engage in "epic" battles, which last for hours. The custom has its
roots in the era of the Byzantine Empire where the clowns of the
racecourses painted their faces. It took its current form during the
time of the sailing ship, that is, from 1840 onwards, when this
celebration took on great dimensions since it was the last and
farewell before the departure of the sailors.
Written type
The first newspaper published in Galaxidi was handwritten and was
called a pseudo-newspaper because of its exaggerations. It was
published in 1821 to inspire the fighters of Central Greece and that
is why its publication did not continue. Much later, in 1925, an
attempt was made by students to publish a literary magazine called
"Student Companion", which was published only in the summer months
of the period 1925-1926. The first serious attempt was made by the
Galaxidi lawyer Ioannis Mitropoulos, a resident of Piraeus, in 1929
with the newspaper "Galaxidiotiki". It was monthly and dealt with
local issues in the area of Galaxidi but circulated mainly in
Piraeus. It was discontinued in 1933. At the same time, on November
1, 1930, a fortnightly newspaper was published, which then became a
monthly. It was called "Oianthi" and dealt with local problems as
well as literary pursuits. The most important newspaper, which
survives to this day, is "Galaxidi". Responsible for its publication
are the members of the association of Galaxidiotes of Piraeus. This
particular newspaper has been published every month non-stop since
1947. Other newspapers such as "o Galaxidiotis", "Ta Galaxidiotika",
"Galaxidiotikos typos" and "Galaxidiotiko Vima" were also published
from time to time.
Bequests-donations
Galaxidi owes a lot
to its benefactors. Important benefactors were Nikolaos Mamas,
Efthymia & Panagiotis Koulombourou, the Aggeli family, Efstathia
Tsalagyra-Rella, Ioannis Michalopoulos and others.
Bequest
Mom
In his will, Nikolaos Mamas bequeathed to the community of
Galaxidi, in 1939, a department store in Piraeus, consisting of
eight stores and a cinema hall. The income of this property finances
the homonymous awards to students as well as various financial aids
to the needy. It also financially supported the excavations of the
archeological museum.
town hall
The building that houses the town hall originally
belonged to the Tsalagyra family. In 1957, Efstathia Tsalagyra -
Rella donated this building in her will for the purpose of housing
the town hall. Today, along with the town hall, the municipal
library is also housed.
Folklore museum
The folklore
museum is housed in the former home of the Aggeli family. The
descendants of Panagiotis Aggelis (1814 - 1897) donated the house in
1955, which is located in the district of Chirolaka, in the
community of Galaxidi for the purpose of housing a school or museum.
Initially, the school of Galaxidi was housed and then it was turned
into a folklore museum. The board of directors has five members and
its chairman is the current mayor.
Sights
The main sights
of the historic city of Galaxidi:
Church of St. Nicholas
The present church of Agios Nikolaos is built on a pagan sanctuary.
In the 7th century the first church was built, dedicated to Agios
Nikolaos while in 1800 the people of Galaxidi at their own expense
began the work for the construction of a larger church. The present
church was built in 1900. The decision was made by the mayor
Konstantinos Papapetros in 1896. The architects were Germanos Hager
and Konstantinos Papapetros. The church is of Byzantine style with
two bell towers and a dome. It has three aisles while in the bell
tower there is the big clock of the city, which was donated in 1908
by the brothers Nikolaos & Pavlos Sidiropoulos. A typical example of
beauty is the wooden iconostasis of the temple. It was built in
the decade 1840-1850 and is in "baroque" style.
Holy Church
of Agia Paraskevi
Monastery of Agios Sotiros
The monastery is
located at an altitude of 300 meters on a nearby hill, south of
Galaxidi. The church existed from the first years of Christianity
but a catastrophic earthquake in the early 13th century destroyed
it. Following the requests of the inhabitants, the Despot of Epirus,
Duke Michael II, Angelos Komnenos, built a new one, around 1250 AD.
The church is dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Savior Christ.
The church is single-aisled, cross-roofed with a rectangular plan.
In 1750 a male monastery was founded but the earthquake of 1756 tore
down the monastery's katholikon and cut off the water supply,
resulting in its desolation. In 1927 some monks settled, but left 5
years later. The actual reconstruction of the monastery took place
in 1989, following the actions of Metropolitan Athenagoras of
Phocis. In 1990 the nun Isidora settled, who takes care of the
monastery and the surrounding area. In a crypt of the ruined church
of Agios Sotiros was found the "Chronicle of Galaxidi" by
Konstantinos Satha in 1864, which was written by the monk Efthymios
in 1703.
The old school
It is located in Koukounas and is
one of the oldest schools. It was built during the reign of Ioannis
Kapodistrias at the expense of the community, which offered 4,389
grosis, and the government. Until 1932 it operated as a primary
school and then was abandoned and sold by the school tax. It has
been declared protected by a ministerial decision.
Naval and
Ethnological Museum
The Naval and Ethnological Museum is housed
in a building built during the town of Hardavella in 1870. Since
1932 it houses the naval gallery. The Naval and Ethnological Museum
houses, in addition to the naval gallery, archaeological finds of
the area. This archeological collection was created in 1932 but many
pieces were lost during the occupation. Today the collection
contains about 300 exhibits. An important role in its creation was
played by Nikolaos Mamas, who financially supported the excavations
of the museum, Ioannis Threpsiadis, who carried out many
excavations, Petros Themelis, curator of antiquities of Delphi, etc.
The naval gallery was created by the mayor Efthimios Vlamis and
collected sailboat paintings, sailors' diaries, naval instruments,
etc. The collection was greatly enriched during the presidency of
Zoe Tsingouni, while the role of the curator of the collection,
Captain Athanasios Bombogiannis, was also important. Today, sailors'
registers, naval instruments, paintings of sailboats, many of which
were designed in Italy, paintings by the painter Petros Petrantzas,
as well as the Chronicle of Galaxidi are hosted. The collection is
maintained by the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation.
The girls' school
The
girls' school was built in 1880 under the town hall of Nikolaos
Loukeris. It was used as a girls' school until 1929 and has been
used as a theater ever since. It was abandoned for many years and in
fact in order not to collapse the school ephorate auctioned it
(1949). The couple Efthymia and Panagiotis Koulombourou bought it
and in turn donated it to the community of Galaxidi. Since 1992, the
Ministry of Culture has declared it a protected monument due to its
architecture and historical significance.
The mansions of
Galaxidi
Most of the city consists of brick mansions that remind
of the wonderful past of the city. The architectural expression was
influenced by the naval profession of the inhabitants who, as if
traveling around the world, brought building materials and craftsmen
from abroad. The first mansions were built in 1850 while the
European influence is obvious. Many houses even have ceilings
designed by Italian painters. Some of the mansions that stand out
for their style are the Bourgeois of Katsoulis, the Dedousaikos of
the ship owner Dedousis, the Moscholaikos, the Nineikos of P.
Tsounas etc.