4. The statue of Markos Botsaris

Markos Botsaris was a hero of the Greek War of Independence. He belonged to one of the leading clans of the Souliotes, who had established an autonomous confederation in Epirus and were famous for their military exploits against Ali Pasha of Ioannina. They were forced to abandon their mountain villages, so when the Greek War of Independence broke out, they were among the first groups to take arms against the Ottomans. Markos joined the Filiki Eteria in 1814 and became a leading figure of the fighting in western Greece. In the spring of 1822 he joined the forces that marched against Epirus, and was forced to retreat to Missolonghi after the disastrous defeat at the battle of Peta.

The situation in Missolonghi was dire. The town was hardly prepared to face the onslaught of the victorious Ottoman forces, but Botsaris and his 35 soldiers refused to abandon it. They evacuated almost all the civilians to the Ionian Islands and waited. The Ottomans failed to realize how weak the garrison was and preferred to attempt to secure the surrender of Missolonghi through negotiations. Botsaris embarked on a series of negotiations with the enemy that went on for days. This enabled the defenders to strengthen the wall while Greek ships were able to supply them with victuals. Botsaris had saved the town but he did not live long. In August 1823 he died during a celebrated attack against 3500 Albanian troops. The statue that honors the saviour of Missolonghi was unveiled in 2014.