Porto Angius on the Northwestern Coast of Lefkada: Cartography, Toponymy, and Spatial Transformation (17th–20th c.)

This study examines the historical evolution of three interconnected toponyms in northwestern Lefkada: Porto Angius, S. Mana / S. Aneta, and S. Nichita. Drawing on Venetian cartography of the 17th–18th centuries and later maps, it proposes that these names reflect layered processes of maritime memory, religious reinterpretation, and administrative transformation. The paper argues that Porto Angius preserves a pre-Ottoman nautical toponym associated with Western (including possibly Angevin) maritime activity, while S. Mana represents an Orthodox pastoral cult (likely associated with Saint Mamas), later reinterpreted under Venetian rule as S. Aneta. The emergence of S. Nichita in the early 18th century marks a new phase of coastal organization and settlement. Keywords: Lefkada, Venetian cartography, toponymy, maritime memory, Saint Mamas, Saint Agnes, cultural reinterpretation