"Bouboulina's Statue." Top 5 Page for this destination Spetses Island Things to Do Tip by planxty

For a brief overview of the history of the amazing Laskarina Bouboulina, please either see my Bouboulina's Museum tip or check out the weblink given. Put briefly, she is nothing short of a Greek national heroine, and this statue, standing on the seafront where she herself must have stood many times is, I think, a fitting memorial.

If you want a brief potted history, here it is. Born in a prison in Constantinople in 1771 (her mother was visiting her father at the time), she grew up on nearby Hydra and then Spetses. Marriage to a sea-captain brought wealth which she eventually used to raise a navy in the Greek war against the Turks who then occupied her country. In an age of male domination, it was almost unheard of for a woman to command a fighting force, but she did this, very successfully, notwithstanding the fact that she was raising seven children at the time! Her most famous exploits are the attacks on Nafplion and Tripolis.

For such a proud and brave figure, she died a somewhat ignoble death, shot (supposedly) by a member of a neighbouring family over the elopement of a daughter with one of her sons. Truly, a remarkable historical figure.

Directions: If you face the island from the pier where the ferries land and turn right past the big hotel it is on the seafront a few hundred yards along.
Website: http://www.bouboulinamuseum-spetses.gr/English/Museum_Bouboulina.htm