Zalogo Monument and Hill

Zalogo is one of the historical hills of Greece. It is located north of Preveza, above the village of Kamarina, and belongs to the mountain range of the Caspian Mountains of Epirus. Its name was associated with the pre-revolutionary period of 1821 and especially with the legendary Dance of Zalongos. On the plateau of this mountain was built in 1950-1961 the largest statue of Greece, titled “Zaloggo Monument,” in design of the sculptor Georgios Zongolopoulos.

Zalongos Monument History

It is worth climbing the 414 stairs to approach the 13 m tall “Zalongos monument.” The monument is dedicated to the 63 women that fled from Souli andfell off the cliff, sacrificing their lives and their children’s lives in order not to fall into the hands of Ali Pasha’s men. In honor of these heroes who preferred death to disgrace and misery, the architect Patroklos Karantinos built on the top of this historic rock a monument as a symbol of memory and self-denial. The renowned sculptor Zongolopoulos managed to give eloquently the dance of those women, linked to redemption, love for freedom, and struggle for life. Caught hand by hand, as they were driving the dance, the female figures are staggered and at the edge of the cliff of sacrifice of the figures becomes gigantic. According to the legend, only an infant and a girl escaped from death and grew up in the village of Kamarina.

Visit the Monastery

The view to Ionian Sea and Preveza from there is amazing. The ideal hours of visiting the monument are in the afternoon. Your car can be left in the precinct of the monastery of Agios Dimitrios and then you can climb the stairs to the top.