Public cemetery, Argostoli, Public cemetery in Argostoli, Greece

The Public Cemetery of Argostoli lies near the north end of the Drapanos Bridge on Kefalonia, shaded by tall pines and firs. Its grounds hold marble and stone monuments from several periods, along with the graves of more than 200 British servicemen and their families.

The earliest known burial in this cemetery dates to 1681, when a man named Master Blackwell was laid to rest. The next recorded burial did not take place until 1710, when John Genaros, from a merchant family originally from Brol in England, was buried near the south wall, where his gravestone can still be seen.

The cemetery joined the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe in 2016, cited for its artistic value. Its marble and stone monuments were carved by named Greek sculptors and by local stonecutters from Kefalonia, so the rows of graves read as a gallery of funerary sculpture. Look for signed works among the older family plots.

The cemetery lies beside the road from Argostoli toward Lixouri, just past the Drapanos Bridge, a short walk or drive from the town center. Paths between the graves are unpaved and uneven in places, so sturdy shoes help. Visit in daylight; the site is a working cemetery, so keep voices low near ongoing burials.

During World War II, the cemetery was hit in an Italian bombing raid in 1943, and the 1953 earthquake caused further damage to the site. Despite both events, many of the original grave markers and monuments have survived or been carefully restored.