All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it.
Notes:
Page revised in May 2021.
Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller
- Santa Maura (Lefkada) - page two(detail of a 1651 engraving by Marco Boschini)
 (1900 Times Atlas of the World) | Key dates: 1362-1477 Duchy of Santa Maura (Leucade); it was ruled by the Del Tocco family. 1477-1684 Part of the Ottoman Empire (1500-01 temporary Venetian occupation). 1684-1797 Venetian possession (1715-16 temporary occupation by the Ottomans). 1797-1810 Occupied by the French, then by the Russians, then by the French again and finally by the British. |
You may wish to see a page on the main fortress first.
Map of the lagoon between Acarnania, a region of mainland Greece, and the island of Santa Maura from "William Martin Leake - Travels in northern Greece - 1835"
(September 1806) I pass through the channel of the Lagoons in a small flat-bottomed boat, and rejoin the vessel a little below Forti, sailing out of the harbour of Drepano. Leake
The Gulf of Drepano seen from the southern edge of the lagoon (on the hill: XIXth century Ottoman fortress)
The southern side of the lagoon is closed by a short sand strip which almost links the island to the mainland.
Fortifications at the southern end of the lagoon (1)
Today the lagoon and the Gulf of Drepano which lies between Santa Maura and the mainland are used as a training area for learning how to sail. The boats are usually moored at the marina of Lefkada (the main town) and they reach the sea through a passage which in the past was controlled by a small fortress which consisted of a central isolated circular bastion surrounded by low walls/buildings.
Fortifications at the southern end of the lagoon (2)
Count Orio affirms that just before the fall of Venice, every thing was in readiness to renew the ancient canal, which would be extremely useful to the island, as well as to the whole coast of Acarnania and Epirus, by enabling small vessels to avoid the circuit of Cape Dukato. Leake
Fortified islet in the centre of the lagoon (in the background of the second image the main fortress)
We passed with our little boat between Meganisi and the
continent, making our way among a great number of small
islands, banks, and rocks, which are very dangerous to large
vessels; and happily entered the harbour of Santa Maura. (..) The channel between the
continent and the island is only navigable for boats. Vessels of
any burthen are compelled to keep on the west side of the island,
where they meet with a small harbour.
Christian Muller - Journey through Greece and the Ionian Islands: in June, July, and August, 1821
A fortified islet where a few guns could be placed stands in the lagoon midway between its two entrances and between the island and the mainland. Similar fortified islets can be seen in the Lagoon of Venice.
Ottoman fortress (St. George's Castle) opposite the southern entrance to the lagoon
The 1718 Peace of Passarowitz marked the end of the last war between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice. The Venetians did not take part in the 1737-1739 war between Austria and the Ottomans and the latter never threatened the Venetian possessions in the Ionian Sea.
The fortress opposite the southern
entrance to the lagoon was built in 1806 by Ali Pacha of Tepeleni, the almost independent governor of Epirus, when Santa Maura was under Russian control.
In 1798 he had occupied the Venetian fortress of Vonizza in the mainland and he planned to invade the island, but in July 1807 the Treaty of Tilsit assigned the Ionian Islands to France and he abandoned his project. For this reason the fortress was never finished.
(left) Castle Tekke, Ottoman fortress near the northern section of the lagoon seen from the Venetian fortress of Santa Maura; (right) one of its towers
The main fortress is well placed for protecting the strait just where
it is easily forded from the opposite heights in
Xeromero, called Lamia, on the extremity of
which is a Tekieh of Dervises. Leake
The small fortress was built by Ali Pacha on the site of a Dervish lodge (tekke) at approximately the same time as St. George's Castle.
The garrison in September 2009
The garrison is composed of a white-bearded elder, his young son and his four wives. At first they are very suspicious of visitors, but after a while they go about their usual business.
The marina of today's Lefkada at sunrise
The hills are almost entirely covered with vine-
yards; the plain is occupied by gardens. Leake
The neighbourhood is very pleasant. The prospect of the
hills over the town, which seems to be situated in the midst of a
garden of orange, lemon, almond, and olive-trees, is delicious;
it also includes part of the adjoining continent, and some of the
islands. Muller
The main town has an impressive marina; you do not see luxury yachts there, just sailing boats.
The image used as background for this page shows a bird of the lagoon.
Return to page one: the main fortress.
You may refresh your knowledge of the history of Venice in the Levant by reading an abstract from the History of Venice by Thomas Salmon, published in 1754 (the Italian text is accompanied by an English summary) or you may wish to read excerpts (in Italian) from Memorie Istoriografiche del Regno della Morea Riacquistato dall'armi della Sereniss. Repubblica di Venezia printed in Venice in 1692 and related to this page.
Move to the Introductory page on the Venetian Fortresses in Greece
List of the fortresses
Other pages/sections which might be of interest to you:
