The area around the present metropolitan church of Agios Spyridon, in the southern part of the city, is one of Messolonghi’s most beautiful spots. It is also one of its oldest inhabited nuclei, built on what was once an island in the lagoon. For that reason the square around the church, with the first row of houses surrounding it, is classified as a historic site in that it preserves its traditional and Neoclassical character. These buildings are directly connected with the recent history of Messolonghi and Greece. According to reports, during the years of the Greek Revolution, the people of Messolonghi gathered in the church during the funeral of Lord Byron to listen to the eulogy given by Spyridon Trikoupis. The church was once located much closer to the lagoon. It was built in 1899-1900 in the type of a three-aisled basilica with a dome, replacing an older church of the 19th century.
In the wider area of Agios Spyridon is the building of the former Moschandreou Gallery, the old Town Hall on Kon. Trikoupis Street, a Neoclassical mansion with visible stonework, the Nider building, a two-storey Neoclassical building with Ionian-island influences, the Manesio, a remarkable Neoclassical mansion on K. Tzavella and Deligiorgis Streets, the house of the poet M. Malakasis, as well as the Lokanda, the old inn of the city, firmly embedded in the memory of the inhabitants of Messolonghi. The last is a three-storey building with a tiled roof, harmonious proportions and is characterized by aesthetic balance and elegance. It is located at the junction of 9 Chrysogelou and Sp. Petaloudis streets. It is a typical example of local architecture and has been registered as a work of art and a historical monument. The building where the Valveios Municipal Library used to be housed was originally the residence of Zafirios-Zenovios Valvi (1800-1886), who was twice Prime Minister of Greece. He himself had a large collection of books, later becoming the Municipal Library, which is now housed on the ground floor of the Messolonghi Byron Society building.
