Kefalonia Agave Lace Recognised as Greek Intangible Cultural Heritage

The news in Greek

1. αθανατοδάντελα  (f.)
   Παραδοσιακή δαντέλα που φτιάχνεται από το αποξηραμένο φυτό αθάνατος και προέρχεται από την Κεφαλονιά. ↩︎
2. παραδοσιακός
   Κάτι που ανήκει στην παράδοση και μεταδίδεται από γενιά σε γενιά. ↩︎
3. πολιτιστικός
   Αυτό που σχετίζεται με τον πολιτισμό και τις εκφράσεις μιας κοινωνίας. ↩︎
4. κληρονομιά  (f.)
   Το σύνολο των παραδόσεων, αξιών και δημιουργιών που παραδίδονται από παλαιότερες γενιές. ↩︎
5. παράδοση  (f.)
   Έθιμα και πρακτικές που μεταφέρονται από γενιά σε γενιά μέσα σε μια κοινωνία. ↩︎
6. ανθεκτικός
   Αυτό που αντέχει στον χρόνο και στις δυσκολίες χωρίς να καταστρέφεται εύκολα. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What plant is the lace made from?

Question 2: Who helped ensure this tradition was not lost?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
αθανατοδάντελα  (f.)	immortelle lace
παραδοσιακός	traditional
πολιτιστικός	cultural
κληρονομιά  (f.)	heritage
παράδοση  (f.)	tradition
ανθεκτικός	durable

Read the full story

A centuries-old lacemaking tradition from the Greek island of Kefalonia has been officially recognised as part of Greece’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Known as athanatodantela — meaning agave lace — the craft was added to the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage by a decision of the Ministry of Culture in May 2026.

The lace is made from the fibres of the agave plant, a succulent originally from South and Central America that arrived in Europe in the 15th century. While the plant is widely known as the source of tequila and syrup, its fibres can also be spun into thread. In Kefalonia, this thread has been woven into lace for more than a century, with written records documenting the practice on the island since at least 1865.

At the heart of the craft’s survival is Stamo Sklavounaki, who is approaching her 90th birthday and serves as president of the Ladies’ Committee of the Charokopeio Workshop for Destitute Women and Girls of Kefalonia. Born in Peratata, near the Castle of Agios Georgios where the tradition developed, she grew up watching her mother knit and embroider. She has spent years researching and recording testimonies about the craft, and now hopes to create a dedicated space in the courtyard of the Charokopeio to display all the stages of thread production.

Sklavounaki recalls the painstaking process: fibres had to be soaked in water that was changed every two days to prevent odour, while care was taken to avoid contact with the plant’s flesh, which is toxic to skin. The finished thread was then taken to a water mill for washing. Historical records she gathered show that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, wealthier women would give thread to rural women to make lace, weighing it before and after to ensure nothing was lost.

Common designs found on the island include spirals, small roses, and vines — patterns drawn from what rural women saw around them. The agave thread varies in thickness, making it impossible to produce the same design twice. The material is noted for its durability, colorfastness, and low environmental impact. Sklavounaki has questioned why the agave plant could not be used today to produce natural-fibre bags instead of nylon ones.

The Charokopeio Workshop’s management committee described the recognition not merely as a symbolic act but as “an essential act of protection, preservation and future utilisation of a unique technique.” The workshop itself is a non-profit organisation that relies on volunteers to continue its work.