The Monument of Zalongo is a 1961 monumental

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

by George Zongolopoulos, commemorating the

Dance of Zalongo Dance of Zalongo , ''Horos tou Zalongou'') refers to the mass suicide of Souliotes, Souliote women and their children that is said to have occurred in the aftermath of the Souliote War (1803), invasion of Ottoman troops on Souli on December 16, 18 ...

, a

mass suicide Mass suicide is a form of suicide, occurring when a group of people simultaneously kill themselves. Mass suicide sometimes occurs in religious settings. In war, defeated groups may resort to mass suicide rather than being captured. Suicide pacts ...

of women and children in 1803. It is located at 700 meters altitude on Mount Zalongo, near

Preveza Preveza (, ) is a city in the region of Epirus (region), Epirus, northwestern Greece, located on the northern peninsula of the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the Preveza (regional unit), regional unit of Preveza, which is the s ...

, Greece, from which it is visible. The closest village is Kamarina. One can access the monument from

Saint Dimitrios Monastery In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Ortho ...

(590 meters altitude), which leads to the top via a cobbled lane of 410 steps. The monument depicts six abstract female figures holding hands. It is 18 meters in length, 13 meters high and is made of concrete supported by 4,300 whitish

limestone block Limestone is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Limestone forms when these ...

s (40x30x25 cm each). The construction took six years, from 1954 to 1960, and was financed by two Pan-Hellenic student fundraising drives.

History

June 10, 1950: At a teachers' meeting in the district of Preveza, the principal of Kamarina's Primary School, George Sakkas, suggested the construction of a monument to honor the heroic women of Souli. September 1, 1950: The governor of

, Spiros Kafetzis, invited all the mayors to raise money in order to construct the monument of Zalongo. In November, Giorgos Chronis, the district inspector of primary schools, decided to conduct fundraising through the schools. October 29, 1950: A symbolic laying of the foundation for the monument of Zalongo was held. The political, military and religious leaders of the region attended the ceremony along with many citizens. May, 1953: With 500,000 drachmas raised for the monument, the Ministry of Education announced a National contest for sculptors and architects. The examination board consisted of the General Commander of Ipiros, K. Tsitsaras; the governor of Preveza, Sp. Kafetsis; the Director of the Ministry of Education, G. Pantzaris as well as the sculptors M. Tompros and V. Falireas. The board awarded the proposal of sculptor George Zongolopoulos and architect

Patroklos Karantinos Patroklos Karantinos (; 10 April 1903 – 4 December 1976) was a Greek architect of early modernism in Greece. He was born in Constantinople and died in Athens. Karantinos studied architecture in Athens and then went to France, where he studied ...

. July 1954: Construction of the monument began under the direction of George Zongolopoulos and Patroklos Karantinos, who offered their supervision without pay. The technical part of the monument was assigned to the marble craftsman Eleftherio Giftopoulo. Every spring-summer and until the completion of the project, George Zongolopoulos and his wife, Eleni Paschalidou-Zongolopoulou, traveling by the military vehicles, spent 3-4 months working on the construction. All the materials (sand, gravel, concrete, water, wood, etc.) were transferred by hand until an improvised mechanism was created to lift the materials. During the monument's construction, Kamarina's citizens as well as military forces provided extremely helpful assistance. June 10, 1961: The monument was completed and the unveiling ceremony took place with political leaders and citizens attending. On the east side of the base of monument there is a marble inscription with the names of the people who contributed to the work: “Sculptor: George Zongolopoulos, Architect: Patroklos Karantinos, Technician: Eleftherios Giftopoulos ”. Between 2008-2013 the municipality of Preveza in co-operation with the George Zongolopoulos Foundation undertook the restoration and maintenance of the Monument of Zalongo. Every year, 30.000 people visit the monument of Zalongo. Every summer the municipality of Preveza organizes the “Zalongeia”, a feast and celebration in the central square of Kamarina.

History

References

Further reading