The Municipality of Ithaca announced the start of a new cycle of archaeological excavations at the emblematic site of the Homeric School, with the aim of further uncovering, documenting, and highlighting the findings associated with the centuries-old cultural identity of the island.
This is the restart of the excavation work that had been carried out systematically from 1994 to 2011, under the guidance of the late Assoc. Prof. Litsa Kontorli-Papadopoulou and Emeritus Professor Athanasios Papadopoulos. The new research program, which began in 2018, is under the scientific responsibility of Professor Emeritus Yiannos G. Lolous, with Dr. Christina Marampea, an archaeologist at the University of Ioannina, playing an active role in the field.
The funding of the work, amounting to 120,000 euros, is covered entirely by the Municipality of Ithaca, thanks also to the valuable financial donation of the couple Dr. D. G. Apostolopoulou and Dr. A. Paizis-Apostolopoulou, Emeritus Research Directors of the National Research Foundation. The contribution of the Municipal Committee for the Promotion of Homeric Ithaca “Dimitris Paizis Danias”, chaired by Ioannis Karatzis, is also significant.
As the Mayor of Ithaca emphasizes, this is a substantial investment in the cultural heritage of the place, which is being carried out in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kefalonia-Ithaca, and the University of Ioannina.
In parallel with the excavation work, the organization of scientific and informative events is also planned for the broader presentation of the findings to the public.
“Ithaca continues to inspire and surprise us. Its land speaks – and reminds us of the timeless value of our history and identity,” states Mayor Dionysis Stanitsas, confirming the commitment of the Municipal Authority to actively support the cultural renaissance of the island.
