Museum of Bishop Isaiah

The museum in memory of Bishop Isaias of Salona is housed in a building, which was constructed on the land where the priest’s paternal residence was located, in Desfina, Fokida. The building was created by the former municipality of Desfinas (now the Municipal Unit of Desfinas of the Municipality of Delphi) in cooperation with the former Prefecture of Fokida and with the assistance of the “Association of Athenian and Pan-Athenian Desfinites Isaias”, under the auspices of the Holy Metropolis of Fokida. The inauguration of the museum took place on Sunday 28 July 2013 in the presence of all the authorities of the prefecture. The museum exhibits personal items of the Despot (encyclical, holy Gospel) as well as faithful copies of his vestments. Also on display are writings and paintings of the period, while in a specially designed area a dramatized documentary about his work and career is shown.

Bishop Isaias of Salona (1778-1821) was one of the pioneers of the 1821 revolution in Roumeli and the only Despot who died fighting on the battlefield on 22 April 1821 in Halcomata, fighting together with Athanasios Diakos, who was captured alive by the Turks on the same day a little further down the road at the bridge of Alamana and was martyred by death by excommunication the following days in Lamia, where he was taken by iron bandage.