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Administrative Region : Ionian Islands
Regional unit : Kefalonia

Lixouri (Greek, Modern: Ληξούρι, Katharevousa: -on) is the main town on the peninsula of Paliki in the island of Kefalonia, one of the Ionian Islands of western Greece. Lixouri is the second largest community in Kefalonia after Argostoli and before Sami and is the capital of the small peninsula. It is located south of Fiskardo, west of Argostoli.

Lixouri

The House of Vittoratos in Mantzavinata

Lixouri

The Iakovatios Library

Lixouri

Mania Beach view from Akrotiri

Lixouri

New Museum

Lixouri

Lixouri Harbour

Photos by Christos Vittoratos

Lixouri, before the earthquake

History
Central square of Lixouri in 1910. Postcard of the 20th century.
Inside St.Sofia's Church in Mantzavinata

The city was founded when citizens of Pale/Pali found a new location for a town. The old city was abandoned completely by the 16th century. The oldest document which contains the name "Lixouri" was sent in 1534 by local authorities to the Senate of Venice. In the 19th century Lixouri was a popular tourist destination; Richard Strauss visited the town. Many houses were destroyed in the earthquakes on January 23, 1867 and in August 1953. In the early 1950s the Royal Family of Greece sent their children some times for summer holidays to Lixouri. In the 1990s Lixouri became again a popular tourist destination and some larger hotels were built south of the town near the beaches.

Literature

Lixouri is the home town of the poet and satirical author Andreas Laskaratos, who wrote about the life in his home town. Kay Cicellis book "Death of a Town" (1954) begins in Lixouri and describes the time of the earthquake. In 1956 Petros Katsaitis wrote his play "Iphigenia in Lixourion". Ilka Chase in "The Varied Airs of Spring" (1969) and Georges Haldas in "A la recherche du rameau d'or" (1976) wrote also about the town.
Infrastructure
Iakovatios Library (and Museum)
Ionian Sea view from Moni Kipoureon monastery.

Lixouri has a few schools and few lyceums or middle schools, a few gymnasia or high schools and a college. The public library is located at the Iakovateios building. On the Lixouri campus of the Technological Educational Institute of the Ionian Islands two faculties are established: business administration and acustics.

Since 2003 Lixouri also has a theatre.
Transportation

Lixouri has a small port with a ferry line with services to Argostoli (in the season every 1 or 1/2 hour) that is used for vehicles under 5 tons. Other services are in summer to Patras and Killini on the mainland. The KTEL bus service has a station in Lixouri and offers routes ending in Patras and Athens (via the port of Sami). Some Hotels offer own bus services e.g. from Lixouri to the XI-Beach and Kounopetra. One bus line is driving twice a day through all villages of the peninsula, Paliki but it is not very often used.

Demography
Year Population town Population community
1981 3,004 -
1991 3,181 -
2001 3,610 3,940
Subdivisons

The administrative subdivisions (the bold) and settlements of Lixouri ("Dimos Palikis) since 1997:

The municipal department of Lixouri, with a population of 3940 in the year 2001 is divided in

Lixouri / το Ληξούρι [ 3.610 ]
Agios Vasilios / ο Άγιος Βασίλειος [ 101 ]
Agios Dimitrios / ο Άγιος Δημήτριος [ 95 ]
Lepeda / τα Λέπεδα [ 13 ]
Logos / ο Λογγός [ 32 ]
Lukerata / τα Λουκεράτα [ 29 ]
Michalitsata / τα Μιχαλιτσάτα [ 60 ]

Matzavinata contains also the settlement Kounopetra and the island Vardiani and had with them the official name "Katogi".
Notable people

Antiochos Evangelatos (1903–1981), Greek composer and conductor
Marinos Geroulanos (1867–1960), surgeon
Andreas Laskaratos (1811–1901), poet
Elias Meniates (1669–1714), scholar and bishop
Spyridon Marinatos (1901–1974) leading Greek archaeologist
Dionysios Zakythinos (1905–1993), leading Greek Byzantinist

Municipal Community Lixouri
Agios Vasileios (Άγιος Βασίλειος ο)
Agios Dimitrios (Άγιος Δημήτριος ο)
Lepeda (Λέπεδα τα)
Lixouri (Ληξούριον το)
Longos (Λογγός ο)
Loukerata (Λουκεράτα τα)
Michalitsata (Μιχαλιτσάτα τα)