Zákynthos

Zakynthos, called Zante by the Venetians, lies in the Ionian Sea west of the Morea. Homer counted its people among the followers of Odysseus, and ancient sailors prized the island's natural tar for protecting their ships. Its harbour and fertile ground later drew the island into the maritime world of Venice, which called it the Flower of the East.

Venice took Zakynthos in 1484 and encouraged settlers from Greek lands threatened by Ottoman conquest. Vineyards supplied a profitable trade in dried currants, much sought after in England, and island merchants built connections abroad. The fall of Venetian Crete in 1669 brought another wave of refugees. Venetian rule ended in 1797 with the republic itself, leaving Zakynthos to share the changing fortunes of the Ionian Islands.