Nearly two centuries after his assassination, Ioannis Kapodistrias has gained a new place of remembrance in the heart of Thessaloniki.
A bust honoring modern Greece’s first Governor was unveiled on September 27, 2026, exactly 195 years after Kapodistrias was assassinated in Nafplio. The monument now stands in the area known as Corfu Park, near the Church of Panagia Chalkeon.
But the new monument carries more than the memory of one of Greece’s most important historical figures.
Inside the bust, at the level of Kapodistrias’ chest, organizers placed sacred objects brought from his native Corfu. They include soil from his family home. Holy water from the Monastery of Platytera, where his grave is located. Icons of the Virgin Mary of Platytera and Saint Spyridon, the patron saint of Corfu.
A Piece of Corfu at the Heart of Thessaloniki
The choice of location gives the monument an additional connection to Corfu.
The bust was donated to the Municipality of Thessaloniki by the Corfiot Union of Thessaloniki “Agios Spyridon.” Sculptor Georgios Kikotis created the work, which is made of cast bronze and stands on a solid marble base. Its total height is 2.20 meters (7 ft 3 in).
The sacred objects inside the monument make the connection even more personal.
Kapodistrias was born in Corfu in 1776 and later became a leading diplomat in Europe before returning to Greece. He serves as the first Governor of the newly established Greek state. His years in Corfu formed an important part of his early life and identity.
Now, soil from his family home and objects associated with the island have been placed at the heart of his monument in northern Greece.
The symbolism is clear: a piece of the place where Kapodistrias was born now stands beside his memory in Thessaloniki.
The Anniversary of a Tragic End
The date of the unveiling was also carefully chosen.
Kapodistrias was assassinated on September 27, 1831, outside the Church of Saint Spyridon in Nafplio as he was going to attend Divine Liturgy. He had served as Governor of Greece from 1828 until his death.
His assassination came during a turbulent period in the early years of the Greek state. His death brought his administration to an abrupt end and was followed by a period of political instability.
The new Thessaloniki monument therefore marks both his contribution to the creation of the modern Greek state and the violent end of his life.
A New Place of Historical Memory
The monument was unveiled at a ceremony attended by representatives of the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the Corfiot community, with music and traditional performances accompanying the event.
Its location adds another layer to the story.
A Corfiot association donated the monument, Corfiot objects were placed inside it, and it now stands in Corfu Park in the center of Thessaloniki.
For a figure whose life connected Corfu, Greece and wider Europe, the new bust creates a physical meeting point between his birthplace and a major city of northern Greece.
More than a new monument, it offers Thessaloniki a permanent reminder of Ioannis Kapodistrias and of the difficult beginnings of the Greek state.
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