3rd August, 2012

7:30pm

Pnevmutiko Kendro, Hora

(The Hall next to the Archaeological Museum, Hora).

Kytherian Toponymia, is an extremely important book.

Author: Emmanual Kalligeros

When Published: 2012

Publisher: Society of Kytherian Studies. The 22nd publication of the Society.

Available: From the Society of Kytherian Studies, Athens

Description: Paper Back, 374 pages

ISBN: 978-960-88554-7-2

Kytherian Toponamia. Historical Geography of Kytherian Place Names

Another book by Emmanuel P. Kalligeros for Kythira. Ten years after the first release of the book Kytherian Surnames, which was released in 2002, second edition in 2006 and soon will be released in English, he has released his second book in the trilogy series on the Kytherian nomenclature, topography and historical geography.

The book Kythera Place Names: historical geography of Kythera is the product of years of research on place names, the religious monuments and history of the settlements of Kythira.

In the first part the book contains the story in concise form of all the settlements of the island from ancient times until today with emphasis on the etymology of their names, the first appearance in historical written texts and the first, but key, inhabitants.

In this chapter it also relates to the settlements that have been lost, changed name, or those which were there, but whose traces have been lost. The main effort in this chapter is to separate history from myth and legends that has led to our villages not being documented in their history.

In the second part of the book there are two lists. A list of place names, which includes over 4000 place names and minor place names with a few references to them and is a rescue work in relation to Kythera place names, which are quickly forgotten in our time and lost in the memories of the young.

There is also a second list of notable churches, which includes more than 350 churches of Kythera with a few useful references for the reader who has a particular interest.

Finally, in the introduction of the book there are three chapters on three specific issues of interest to Kythera, which illuminate the main theme of the book. These are the rule of the Venier during the 14th century, invasion of the Catalans in Kythera also during the 14th century and the Census of the guardian of the Kastro in the 16th century.

The introduction also contains references to fifty Kytherian families whose presence dates back certainly before the 16th century era and some reach back in time until the 13th century, as occurred with many villages and settlements.

The book was published by the Society for Kytherian Studies (5 Themistocles, Athens, tel 210 3832806), available from bookshops in Kythera and printed by Stamoulis Publications.

The cover was designed by Kallia Drosou with maps of the Collection of Ant. Tantoulou, while the maps were obtained online by Al. Sougianni.