Domna Visvizi

Domna Visvizi (Greek: Δόμνα Βισβίζη; 1783–1850) was a Greek maritime captain who fought in the Greek War of Independence. At the outbreak of the war, Visvizi joined her husband Chatzi Antonis Visvizis to fight for the Greek cause onboard the ship Kalomoira. After her husband was killed in battle in July 1822, Visvizi took command of the ship and continued to fight in the war. Among other contributions, Visvizi aided in the Greek capture of the island of Euboea. After running low on funds and being rejected additional funding by the Greek leadership, Visvizi gave over the Kalomoira to the Greek navy in 1824. After the war she was left destitute and with next to no government support lived in poverty until her death in 1850.

Personal life Visvizi was born on Chios in 1783. Her family were rich landowners. In 1808, at the age of 25, she married her husband Chatzi Antonis Visvizis in Ainos, Visvizis was a wealthy ship-owner and one of the first members of the Filiki Eteria, a secret organization working to overthrow the rule of the Ottoman Empire over Greece. On 21 July 1822, Visvizi was reportedly a skilled and respected naval commander and her ship instilled fear among the Ottoman fleet. The Kalomoira not only partook in battles but also at times transported food and ammunition, Androutsos later wrote that his forces would have perished without Visvizi's aid. when she no longer possessed the funds necessary to continue maintaining the ship. She petitioned the Greek government for financial aid but was not given any. the Kalomoira was then converted into a fireship. One of Visvizi's children died in a famine in 1826.

Visvizi has a statue in Alexandroupoli, built in 2005. She also has a bust in the Pedion tou Areos, a park in Athens built to honor heroes of the Greek War of Independence. The bust was also inaugurated in 2005.