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LITERATURE
Literature origins in Zakynthos date back to the 15th Century when the island poets were popular for their poems, prose, and the translation of texts from ancient Greek to the spoken language. Among the most popular poets throughout history are Foscolo, Andreas Kalvos, whose phrase ‘Freedom requires virtue and audacity’ is quoted in the symbol of the city of Zakynthos, Gregorios Xenopoulos, and Zantes most famous man of words, poet Dionisios Solomos to whom a church and a square are dedicated. Solomos penned the poem, Hymn To Liberty that today is the National Athem of Greece.
Kalvos and Solomos’ mortal remains are at the museum that has been dedicated to them.
* The poet Edgar Allan Poe also wrote a famous poem about Zante called ‘Sonnet to Zante’ where he describes the island as ‘an island of gold’ and ‘the flower of the Levante’.