Zakinthos: Churches, Museums and Arcades

Churches, collections and broad arcades tell different stories about the city’s history in Zakinthos. When choosing a holiday apartment based on the focus of your trip, the city offers many specific cultural themes to explore: from church architecture and art to books, manuscripts and memorabilia. The wider destination of Zakynthos also offers its own natural and cultural landscapes.

Churches between reconstruction and remembrance

Agios Nikolaos tou Molou was founded on a small island that was later connected to the mainland through land reclamation. Panagia ton Angelon was established in 1687 by the notaries’ guild. After the earthquakes, it was rebuilt in the same place, using the same materials and following the same architectural style. These two churches illustrate different aspects of history: the transformation of a place and the continuity of a building.

Agios Charalambos is also associated with a specific historical event. The church was built in 1729 by order of Proveditore Marc. Dolfin, in gratitude for the city’s deliverance from the plague that broke out in 1728. The former Faneromeni Church, dating from the 15th century, was considered one of the most beautiful churches in Greece and was particularly rich in artworks by leading representatives of the Ionian School. Its standing is part of the historical memory of a former church.

Arcades as part of the cityscape

Broad arcades shape central streets in Zakinthos, including Rouga-Platia (Alexandrou Roma and 21is Maiou) and Strata Marina (Konstantinou Lombardou). They are an architectural relic of old Zakynthos, which was destroyed in 1953. The named streets make the subject tangible: here, architectural history is associated not only with individual buildings but also with the character of central streets.

Art, literature and historical collections

The Museum of Zakynthos is housed in a neoclassical building on the city’s central square and displays a significant collection of post-Byzantine paintings. The Post-Byzantine Museum of Zakynthos is a separate institution: located in the city centre on Solomos Square, it houses artworks from the Ionian School. The two collection descriptions have different emphases and offer art enthusiasts different themes to consider when planning their trip.

The Roma House Museum in Zakynthos Town preserves memorabilia from the 15th to the 20th century connected with the modern history of Greece. Its library holds more than 10,000 rare editions, manuscripts, maps and prints. The Grigorios Xenopoulos Museum is housed in the writer’s home on the street named after him and contains personal belongings, manuscripts and editions of his works. These include issues of the magazine «Η Διάπλασις των Παίδων». The Zakynthos Public Library holds books, newspapers and printed materials from before the earthquake. Taken together, these collections offer different ways of exploring the past: fine art, personal memorabilia and written records.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment for a culturally focused stay, you can decide which themes to prioritise based on what interests you most: churches and architecture, painting, or the history of literature and collections. This lets you choose a destination according to the experiences you want to make room for, without assuming any particular accommodation feature.

Across the wider destination of Zakynthos

Beyond Zakinthos, the wider destination of Zakynthos offers further, distinct themes. The Blue Caves lie in the Aspros Vrachos area at Cape Skinari. Lake Keri is a wetland protected under the Ramsar Convention, a Natura site and a nature reserve within the Zakynthos National Marine Park. The Keri Lighthouse is known for panoramic sunset views over the Ionian Sea and the Myzithres rocks.

Cultural and regional history also extends beyond the city: since 1968, the mausoleum at the Museum of Solomos and Eminent Zakynthians in Zakynthos has housed the remains of national poets Andreas Kalvos and Dionysios Solomos. The Monastery of Agios Georgios sta Gremna in Volimes was founded in 1535. In Volimes, Zakynthian Ladotyri cheese is also made in dairies and home workshops and offered as a local product. These examples give you different points of reference for weighing the city’s history against other interests across the wider destination of Zakynthos.

Discover more destinations:

Vasilikos, Laganas, Mouzaki, Kalamaki, Anafonitria, Kampíon, Tragaki, Marathias

Back to the wider travel overview: Zakynthos.