The colorful houses of the historic center
In the picturesque alleys of Lefkada’s historic centre, the old mansions and traditional houses of the town stand out, bearing traces of different historical periods of the island.
Many of these mansions have been turned into museums, cultural venues or private residences, while together they contribute decisively to the unique atmosphere of the old town.
One of the most emblematic examples of this architecture is the house of Angelos Sikelianos, where the great poet lived, with features reflecting the cultural life of Lefkada in the early 20th century. Today it houses the Angelos Sikelianos Museum, a pioneering spiritual space that goes beyond the limits of a simple display of personal belongings. Through a modern museological approach, you will enter into “dialogue” with the poet, discovering rare manuscripts, the wedding dress of his first wife, Anna Kampanari-Sikelianou, and the iconic woven textiles of his later wife, Eva Palmer-Sikelianou, from the Delphic Festivals.
The experience is completed with audiovisual material, in which Sikelianos’s own voice brings his work to life, turning the visit into a deeply moving journey through his spiritual legacy.
Of particular interest is also the Zoulinos House, a mansion with rich details that testify to Venetian influences on local architecture. This emblematic building houses the Public Library of Lefkada, an invaluable guardian of the Ionian Islands’ heritage. It hosts more than 60,000 volumes, while on the first floor there is an important Collection of Post-Byzantine Icons and Relics. There, you can admire works by leading painters of the Heptanese School, as well as rare ecclesiastical vessels and vestments saved from destroyed churches and monasteries of the island.
The three-storey Stamatopoulou family building, on the main square, houses services of the Regional Unit of Lefkada.
Many of these mansions have been turned into museums, cultural venues or private residences, while together they contribute decisively to the unique atmosphere of the old town.
One of the most emblematic examples of this architecture is the house of Angelos Sikelianos, where the great poet lived, with features reflecting the cultural life of Lefkada in the early 20th century. Today it houses the Angelos Sikelianos Museum, a pioneering spiritual space that goes beyond the limits of a simple display of personal belongings. Through a modern museological approach, you will enter into “dialogue” with the poet, discovering rare manuscripts, the wedding dress of his first wife, Anna Kampanari-Sikelianou, and the iconic woven textiles of his later wife, Eva Palmer-Sikelianou, from the Delphic Festivals.
The experience is completed with audiovisual material, in which Sikelianos’s own voice brings his work to life, turning the visit into a deeply moving journey through his spiritual legacy.
Of particular interest is also the Zoulinos House, a mansion with rich details that testify to Venetian influences on local architecture. This emblematic building houses the Public Library of Lefkada, an invaluable guardian of the Ionian Islands’ heritage. It hosts more than 60,000 volumes, while on the first floor there is an important Collection of Post-Byzantine Icons and Relics. There, you can admire works by leading painters of the Heptanese School, as well as rare ecclesiastical vessels and vestments saved from destroyed churches and monasteries of the island.
The three-storey Stamatopoulou family building, on the main square, houses services of the Regional Unit of Lefkada.
