Messolonghi

   Messolonghi first appeared in history after Renaissance. Historical documents of the season mention it as village of fishermen (Mezzolaghi = within lakes) and pirates haven. Quickly, the fishing village has taken great evolution and in the early 17th century, it becomes a bigger - for those times - city, with trade across Greece and abroad, with shipping (50 large ships and the first shipyard in Greece ), vice-from countries in Europe and great intellectual movement. It is about a traffic that could not be stopped neither by its temporary occupation and looting by the Venetians (1684), nor by the repeated destruction by the Turks.
 

   In 1769, during the Orlov, Mesologi rebels for the first time, eliminates the Turks and fortified with a moat. Unfortunately, this revolution was failed and the Turks burned all the houses and its fleet (which then had 80 ships). Messolonghi, however, quickly regained its old strength. New houses were rebuilt, new ships built and its university (the Palamaia Academy, which was founded in 1760 by Panagiotis Palamas) resumed working, gathering students from all over Greece.
When you broke in the Peloponnese the Revolution, it became quickly understood that in order to allow the Turks to suppress, there were only two roads to go down there. One of East Central, and one from the West. The first was a crucial passage of Thermopylae, the second Missolonghi. This explains the importance - and the suffering - the Messolongi. Messolonghi revolted on May 20, 1821 and was fortified. Quickly, Mavrokordatos, with the recommendation of Fanari - which Mesologi known because of its reputation as a cultural center - the headquarters chose the Administration of "Western Terrestrial Greece."