Katounibrug

The stone bridge of Katouni was built during the British domination in 1826. It is one of the largest built in Greece, with a length of 110 meters, a width of 6 meters and a height of 15 meters. The bridge is supported by 13 symmetric arches with 12 cylindrical openings. The bridge was constructed based on plans drawn up by the British High Commissioner, the engineer Macphail. The project was ambitious and was part of a larger public work project on the island: roads, bridges, schools, aqueducts, ports and lighthouses. The Katouni bridge was part of the road that connected the capital city of Kythira to the port of Agios Nikolaos or Avlemonas and was the greatest technological achievement of the British on the island. This road was never completed, as the British left in 1864, after the unification of the Ionian Islands with the Greek state. According to a legend, the bridge was built because the British commissioner Macphail had fallen in love with a young girl living in the Katouni settlement. In order to find a way to see her often, he decided to build something nearby so he could visit her.