Ithaca and the opportunity that awaits you!
Ithaka
As you set out for Ithaca, hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey …
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
~ C.P. Cavafy
Blissful Ithaca. Odysseus’ Ancient Kingdom. Modern Ithaca is identified with Homer's ancient Ithaca, the home of Odysseus, whose delayed
return to the island is the subject of the Odyssey. But what has sustained this beautiful island community for the past 3,000 years?
Ithaca is a Greek island located in the Ionian Sea, with an area of 45 square miles and three thousand inhabitants. It is an independent
municipality of the Kefalonia Prefecture, and lies off the northeast coast of the Island of Kefalonia. The capital, Vathý, surrounds one of the
world's largest natural harbors. The island contains verdant hills, mountainous landscapes and capes and is dotted with protected bays,
harbors and quaint villages. The agricultural economy is comprised of ancient olive orchards that were planted 500 years ago during the
Venetian period. Its architecture and town planning reflect centuries of Venetian influence.
Ithaca has been inhabited since the 2nd millennium BC and served as the capital of Cephalonia during the Mycenaean period. The Romans
occupied the island in the 2nd century BC, and it later became part of the Byzantine Empire. The Normans ruled Ithaca in the 12th and 13th
centuries, and after a brief Turkish rule, it fell under Venetian control for the next four centuries. After occupation by France, it was liberated in
1798 by a joint Russo-Turkish force, before becoming part of the Septinsular Republic. It again became a French possession in 1807, but was
liberated by the United Kingdom in 1809. Under the 1815 Treaty of Paris, Ithaca became a state of the United States of the Ionian Islands, a
protectorate of the United Kingdom. Under the 1864 Treaty of London, Ithaca, along with the other Ionian islands, were ceded to Greece.
Ithaca provides an ideal case study environment for the study of international cultures, European Union environmental and sustainability
policies, and rural community development. Students will live and work in the Village of Kioni, one of Greece’s most beautiful and well
preserved coastal island villages. Kioni is comprised of Venetian style architecture that survived or was restored after the earthquake of 1953,
which destroyed most of the structures on the neighboring Islands of Kefalonia and Zakinthos. Ithaca, fortunately, was only partially affected by
the devastation. However, like its neighboring islands, it did experience a rapid decline of its population. In recent years, the island has partially
recovered as a result of Ithacans returning from around the world and stimulating investment and rebuilding activities. Unlike Kefalonia and
Zakinthos, Ithaca has adopted a cautious approach to its development. In the 1980s, the entire island was nationally designated as an
“architecturally historic place” in recognition of its pristine natural environment and important vernacular architectural heritage. Island residents
have actively opposed the introduction of mass tourism, and have voted repeatedly against proposals to construct large scale tourism
accommodations and an airport.
As a result, the island has ...
- preserved its pristine and intimate natural setting
- imposed strict controls over physical development, and
- preserved expansive areas of natural open space, wild lands, and agriculture.
Furthermore, most new urban development is limited to locations within existing village boundaries. Still, it is reliant on tourism to support a sustaining economy. While the majority of the island consists of extensive fields of olive orchards, little of the agricultural base supports the local economy.
- How will Ithaca, and villages such as Kioni, continue to protect their environmental values in the face of growing development pressures?
- How might a revived agricultural economy contribute to the island’s economic security?
- How might tourism be shaped to foster sustainable economic wellbeing?
- How might global sustainability principles help inform community development goals?
The Ithaca academic program provides students an opportunity to investigate timely questions about the sustainability of communities in the Mediterranean region. The course investigates strategies designed to attain a balanced state of natural resources protection, cultural preservation and economic development for the perpetual benefit of the island population.