page_title: Aegina
section_title: Landmarks
hierarchical_section_title: Aegina / Landmarks
caption_attribution_description: English: Bust of Ioánnis Kapodístrias, first governor of modern Greece, by Karakatsanis, 1887, Aegina island, Greece. Français&#160;: Buste de Ioánnis Kapodístrias (1776 - 1831), Premier Gouverneur de la Grèce moderne, 1887, par I.Karakatsanis, Île d'Egine, Grèce.
context_page_description: Aegina is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, 27 kilometres from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of the hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and became its king.
context_section_description: Temple of Aphaea, dedicated to its namesake, a goddess who was later associated with Athena; the temple was part of a pre-Christian, equilateral holy triangle of temples including the Athenian Parthenon and the temple of Poseidon at Sounion.
  Monastery of Agios Nectarios, dedicated to Nectarios of Aegina, a recent saint of the Greek Orthodox Church.
  A statue in the principal square commemorates Ioannis Kapodistrias (1776–1831), the first administrator of free modern Greece.
  The Orphanage of Kapodistrias is a large building, known locally as The Prison (Οι Φυλακές, Oi Filakes), constructed in 1828-29 by Ioannis Kapodistrias as a home for children orphaned as a result of the Greek War of Independence. The building also housed schools, vocational workshops, the National Public Library, the National Archaeological Museum, a military academy, the National Printing Office and the National Conservatory for Choir and Orchestra. From about 1880 it was used as a prison, and housed political prisoners during the Greek Junta (1967-1974) - hence its local name. There are currently plans to restore the building as a museum.
  The Tower of Markellos was probably built during the second Venetian occupation, 1687-1714, as a watch tower in anticipation of a Turkish seige. A castle, fortified walls and numerous watchtowers were built at this time. The tower was abandoned after the Turkish occupation of 1714, until revolutionary leader Spyros Markellos bought the tower as his residence in around 1802. In 1826-28 it was the headquarters of the temporary government of the embryonic Greek state. It subsequently was used as a police headquarters and housed various government agencies until it was abandoned again in the mid 19th century. It is currently owned by the Municipiality of Aegina.
  Temple of Zeus Hellanios, near the village of Pachia Rachi, is a 13th-century Byzantine church, built on the ruins of the ancient temple to Zeus Hellanios, built in the 4th century BC.  The staircase leading up to the church, some of the original walls, and loose stones from the earlier temple remain.
caption: A bust of Kapodistrias
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