Corfu (, also ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, ; grc, Κόρκυρα, Kórkyra, ; ; la, Corcyra; sq, Korfuzi) is a city and a former municipality on the island of

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

, Ionian Islands,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

. Since the 2019 local government reform, it is part of the municipality

Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands ( el, Κεντρική Κέρκυρα και Διαπόντια Νησιά ''Kentriki Kerkyra kai Diapontia Nisia'') is a municipality in the Ionian Islands region in Greece. It covers the central part of the ...

. It is the capital of the municipality and of the Corfu regional unit. The city also serves as a capital for the region of the Ionian Islands. The city (population in 2011: 39,674 residents and the whole island 111,975) is a major tourist attraction and Greek regional centre and has played an important role in Greek history since antiquity.

History

The ancient city of Corfu, known as Korkyra, took part in the Battle of Sybota which was a catalyst for the

Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of ...

, and, according to Thucydides, the largest naval battle between Greek city states until that time.

Thucydides Thucydides (; grc, , }; BC) was an Athenian historian and general. His '' History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of " scienti ...

also reports that Korkyra was one of the three great naval powers of fifth century BC Greece, along with

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

and

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part ...

. Medieval castles punctuating strategic locations across the city are a legacy of struggles in the Middle Ages against invasions by pirates and the Ottomans. The city has become known since the Middle Ages as ''Kastropolis'' (Castle City) because of its two castles. From 1386 to 1797, Corfu was ruled by Venetian nobility; much of the city reflects this era when the island belonged to the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...

, with multi-storied buildings on narrow lanes. The Old Town of Corfu has clear Venetian influence. The city was subjected to four notable sieges in 1537, 1571, 1573 and 1716, in which the strength of the city defenses asserted itself time after time, mainly because of the effectiveness of the powerful Venetian fortifications. Will Durant claimed that Corfu owed to the

the fact that it was the only part of Greece never conquered by the Ottomans. In 2007, the old town of the city was inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

.UNESCO Advisory Body (ICOMOS) report on Corfu History retrieved 3 July 2007
/ref> The municipal unit of Corfu city has a land area of and a total population of 39,674 inhabitants. Besides the city of Corfu/Kérkyra, its largest other towns are Kanáli (population 4,086), Potamós (3,840), Kontokáli (1,660), Alepoú (3,149), and Gouviá (838).

Palaiopolis

In the city of Corfu, the ruins of the ancient city of Korkyra, also known as ''Palaiopolis'', include ancient temples which were excavated at the location of the palace of Mon Repos, which was built on the ruins of the Palaiopolis. The temples are: Kardaki Temple, Temple of Artemis, and the Temple of Hera. Hera's temple is situated at the western limits of Mon Repos, close to Kardaki Temple and to the northwest. It is approximately 700 m. to the southeast of the Temple of Artemis in Corfu. Hera's Temple was built at the top of Analipsis Hill, and, because of its prominent location, it was highly visible to ships passing close to the waterfront of ancient Korkyra.

Architecture

In several parts of the town may be found houses of the

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

time, with some traces of past splendour. The

Palace of St. Michael and St. George The Palace of St. Michael and St. George ( gr, Ανάκτορο των Αγίων Μιχαήλ και Γεωργίου) is a palace in Corfu City on the island of Corfu, Greece. Commissioned by Sir Thomas Maitland, it originally served as the ...

, built in 1815 by Sir Thomas Maitland (1759–1824; Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands) is a large structure of white Maltese stone. Near

Gastouri Gastouri is a Greek village located about 10 kilometres south of the city of Corfu. Gastouri was established as a settlement on 28 January 1866 by publication of the decision in the Greek government gazette. In 1995, administratively, it belonged ...

stands the

Pompei Pompei (; nap, Pumpeje, ) or Pompeii (, as in the name of the ancient city) is a city and commune in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy, home of the ancient Roman ruins of Pompeii that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. History ...

an style Achilleion, the palace built for the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, and purchased in 1907 by the German emperor, William II. Of the thirty-seven Greek churches the most important are the cathedral, dedicated to Our Lady of the Cave; St. Spiridon's, with the tomb of the patron saint of the island; and the suburban church of St Jason and St Sosipater, reputedly the oldest in the island. The city is the seat of a Greek and a Roman Catholic archbishop; and it possesses a gymnasium, a theatre, an agricultural and industrial society, and a library and museum preserved in the buildings formerly devoted to the university, which was founded by

Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, (7 February 1766 – 14 October 1827), styled The Honourable Frederick North until 1817, was a British politician and colonial administrator. Early life and education North was a younger son of Prime Mini ...

(1766–1827, himself the first chancellor in 1824) in 1823, but disestablished on the cessation of the British protectorate. Based on the

ICOMOS The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; french: links=no, Conseil international des monuments et des sites) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the worl ...

evaluation of the old town of Corfu, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The ICOMOS experts have noted that "about 70% of the pre-20th century buildings date from the British period" and that "whole blocks were destroyed" in the Old Town by the German World War II blitzes; these were "replaced by new constructions in the 1960s and 1970s". The urban fabric was classified as being predominantly of the Neoclassical period "without special architectural features for which it could be distinguished". However, they note that the layout and structure of the city, including its Venetian fortifications, make Corfu a quintessential example of a fortified maritime city.

Layout

The town of Corfu stands on the broad part of a peninsula, whose termination in the Venetian

citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...

( el, Παλαιό Φρούριο) is cut off from it by an artificial fosse formed in a natural gully, with a salt-water ditch at the bottom, that serves also as a kind of marina known as ''Contra-Fossa''. The old city having grown up within fortifications, where every metre of ground was precious, is a labyrinth of narrow streets paved with cobblestones, sometimes tortuous but mostly pleasant, colourful, and sparkling clean. These streets are called "kantounia" () and the older ones sometimes follow the gentle irregularities of the ground while many of them are too narrow for vehicular traffic. There is promenade by the seashore towards the bay of Garitsa (), and also an esplanade between the town and the citadel called () where upscale restaurants and European style bistros abound. The origin of the name ''Liston'' has several explanations: many former Venetian cities have a square of that name, coming from a

word meaning ''evening promenade'', but it can also refer to the closed-list aspect of an up-scale area reserved to the nobility registered in the Libro d'Oro. The citadel was depicted on the reverse of the Greek 500

drachmas The drachma ( el, δραχμή , ; pl. ''drachmae'' or ''drachmas'') was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history: # An ancient Greek currency unit issued by many Greek city states during a period of ten centuries, fr ...

banknote of 1983-2001. 20100728 Corfu island old town panoramic Greece

Culture

The city of Corfu has a long tradition in the

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

. The

Philharmonic Society of Corfu The Philharmonic Society of Corfu ( el, Φιλαρμονική Εταιρεία Κερκύρας, ''Philharmonice Ɛtaerɛia Cɛrcyras'', ), or ''Old Philharmonic'' (Παλαιά Φιλαρμονική) -to be distinguished from the other 17 bands ...

is part of that tradition. The Museum of the

presents in detail the musical heritage of the island.

Sports

Corfu is the only place in Greece where

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

is popular. It was imported into the island during British rule. The Hellenic Cricket Federation is based in Corfu and it is the only Greek sport federation that is based outside Athens. The most Greek cricket clubs are based in Corfu and they star in the

Greek Championship The Super League Greece 1 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λιγκ 1), or Super League 1, is the highest professional association football league in Greece. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and replaced ''Alpha Ethniki'' at the top of ...

. Notable cricket clubs of Corfu are Kerkyraikos G.S. (KGS), founded in 1893,

GSK Vyron GSK may refer to: *Galatasaray S.K., a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul * Glycogen synthase kinase * Golden State Killer, a California serial rapist and murderer * GSK plc GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multination ...

, founded in 1925 and AO Phaeax founded in 1976. In other sports, Corfu has two teams with presence in higher divisions. The football club

AOK Kerkyra PAE Kerkyra ( el, ΠΑΕ Κέρκυρα), was a Greek football club based in Corfu, Greece. The club played in the Gamma Ethniki, the fourth tier of the Greek football league system, following changes to the league structure in 2019. It played i ...

, founded in 1969 originally as "AO Kerkyra", that plays in A Ethniki and the water polo club NAO Kerkyra (NAOK) founded in 1935, with earlier presence in A1 Ethniki Polo.

Climate

Corfu city has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

. The summers are hot, rainless but humid with temperatures reaching . The winters are mild and wet, temperatures around on or above .

Government

Mayor history

Up until 1866, Corfu had no mayors. This list starts from 1866 and on. *Nikolaos V. Manesis (1866–1870) *Christodoulos M. Kiriakis (1870–1879) * Georgios Theotokis (1879–1885) *Ioannis Padovas (1885-1887) * (1887–1895) * (1895–1899) *Dimitrios Kollas (1899–1911) *Ioannis Mavrogiannis (1914–1925) *Spyridon Kollas (1925–1951) *Stamatios Desyllas (1951–1955) * Maria Desylla-Kapodistria (1956–1959), first female mayor in Greece.Municipality of Corfu from the Internet archive
Quote:''In the elections of 1954 Stamatios Desillas was elected Mayor for a second term and remained in office until his death, Christmas Day 1955. Soon after a bye-election took place in Corfu in which the widow of the deceased Maria Desilla - Kapodistria, was elected Mayor with 5,365 votes in a total of 10,207. Maria Desilla became Mayor of Corfu on 15 April 1956 until 9 May 1959. She was the first female Mayor in Greece.'' *Panagiotis Zafiropoulos (1959–1964) * Spyros Rath (1964–1967) *Municipal councils (1967–74) *Konstantinos Alexopoulos (1974–1975) * Spyros Rath (1975–1978) *Ioannis Kourkoulos (1979–1990) *Chrisanthos Sarlis (1991–2002) *Alexandros Mastoras (2003–2006) *Sotirios Micallef (2007–2010) *Ioannis Trepeklis (2011–2014) *Kostas Nikolouzos (2014–19) *Merope Hydraiou (2019–)

International relations

Twin towns - sister cities

Corfu is twinned with: *

Kruševac Kruševac ( sr-cyr, Крушевац, , tr, Alacahisar or Kruşevca) is a city and the administrative center of the Rasina District in central Serbia. It is located in the valley of West Morava, on Rasina river. According to the 2011 census, t ...

, Serbia (1985) *

Paphos Paphos ( el, Πάφος ; tr, Baf) is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and New Paphos. The current city of P ...

, Cyprus (1992) *

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, Cyprus (1994) *

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, Germany (1996) *

Troisdorf Troisdorf () is a city in the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis (district), in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Troisdorf is located approximately 22 kilometers south of Cologne and 13 kilometers north east of Bonn. Division of the city Troisdorf co ...

, Germany (1996) *

Asha Asha (; also arta ; ae, 𐬀𐬴𐬀, translit=aṣ̌a/arta) is a Zoroastrian concept with a complex and highly nuanced range of meaning. It is commonly summarized in accord with its contextual implications of 'truth' and 'right(eousness)', 'ord ...

, Cyprus (1998) *

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, Italy (1998) * Vathy, Greece (1998) *

Carovigno Carovigno ( Carovignese: ; la, Carbina) is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Brindisi and region of Apulia, in southern Italy. The town of Carovigno has a population of 17,000 residents. Though it is small, it provides a wide array of si ...

, Italy (2000) *

Koper Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...

, Slovenia (2000) *

Sarandë Sarandë (; sq-definite, Saranda; el, Άγιοι Σαράντα, Ágioi Saránta) is a city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Sarandë Municipality. Geographically, the city is located on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea within the Medi ...

, Albania (2001) * Tremetousia, Cyprus (2001) *

Ioannina Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the c ...

, Greece (2002) *

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital ...

, United States (2013) *

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar ( ...

, Montenegro (2017) *

Bari Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Ital ...

, Italy * Zemun (Belgrade), Serbia *

Mytilene Mytilene (; el, Μυτιλήνη, Mytilíni ; tr, Midilli) is the capital of the Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University o ...

, Greece

Consulates

The city hosts

consulates A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth count ...

from the following countries: *

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

Quarters

*Paleopolis *Nèo Frourio *Paleò Frourio-Aghios Geòrgios *Faliraki *Aghios Vlasios-Old Port *New Port *Platytera *Sarocco-Kotsella *Menekratous *Analipsi *Aghia Trias *Neratzicha *Anemomylos-Aghios Iàsson *Figareto-Kardaki *Stratia *Kyra Chrysikoù *Aghios Spyridon *

Spianada The Spianada ( el, Σπιανάδα, , "esplanade") is a large square in the city of Corfu, Greece. It is the largest square in Greece and is located in front of the Old Fortress of the city of Corfu. History The square's name derives from the Ve ...

- Liston *Aghios Antonios *Aghios Iakovos *Mandraki *Aghios Ioannis *Garitsa *Kanoni *Kanàlia *Alepou *Potamos * Kontokali *Evropouloi *Gouvia *Kommeno *Temploni *Kampiello (old town) *Spilia *Mantouki

Main streets

* Markora Street * Nikiforou Theotoki Street * Eugeniou Voulgari Street * Agiou Spyridonos Street * Stamati Voulgari * Philhellinon * Filarmonikis * Dousmani * Moustoxydi * Agion Panton * Solomou * Dimokratias Avenue * Georgiou Theotoki Avenue * Mantzarou Street * Alexandras Avenue * Margariti * Aspioti * Desylla * Arseniou * Panagouli

Media

*TV: Corfu TV, Start TV *Newspapers: '' Kerkyra Simera''

People

Gallery

File:Konrad von Grünenberg - Beschreibung der Reise von Konstanz nach Jerusalem - Blatt 15v-16r.jpg, Old depiction of Corfu, 1487 File:Saint_Spyridon_church_Korfu.jpg, Belltower of the

Saint Spyridon Church Saint Spyridon Church is a Greek Orthodox church located in Corfu, Greece. It was built in the 1580s. It houses the relics of Saint Spyridon and it is located in the old town of Corfu. It is a single-nave basilica and its bell tower is the highe ...

, patron saint of the city File:Panagia Mandrakina - Corfu 02.jpg, ''Panagia Mandrakina'' File:Stgeorgetemple.jpg, Saint George Temple at the Old Fortress File:Corfu Mon Repos R01.jpg, Mon Repos File:Corfu Achilleion R05.jpg, Achilleion façade File:Carnival in Kerkyra by Pachis.jpg, ''Carnival in Kerkyra'' by Charalambos Pachis File:Museum Antivouniotissas in Corfu.JPG,

Byzantine Museum of Antivouniotissa The Antivouniotissa Museum (Greek: Βυζαντινό Μουσείο Αντιβουνιώτισσας) is a museum of post-Byzantine religious art of the Cretan and early Heptanese schools in Corfu, Greece. It is located in the former church of t ...

File:Torre i plaça de l'Annunziata, Corfú.JPG, Belltower of Annunziata/Lontsiada Catholic church (Evangelistria) File:Corfu town 23.JPG, ''Panagia Spiliotissa'' Cathedral

References

External links

*
Municipal website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corfu (City) Populated places in Corfu (regional unit) Capitals of former nations Greek prefectural capitals Greek regional capitals World Heritage Sites in Greece Greek city-states Capitals of Greek states