The Spianada ( el, Σπιανάδα, , "
esplanade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cl ...
") is a large square in the city of
Corfu,
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 ...
. It is the largest square in Greece and is located in front of the
Old Fortress
The Old Fortress of Corfu ( gr, Παλαιό Φρούριο, ) is a Venetian fortress in the city of Corfu. The fortress covers the promontory which initially contained the old town of Corfu that had emerged during Byzantine times.
Before th ...
of the city of Corfu.
History
The square's name derives from the Venetian word for "open flat area", during the four centuries of Venetian rule in the island of Corfu.
Its final construction dates back to the temporary
French occupation of the Ionian islands and Corfu during the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
.
CorfuIn.com
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The "cricket court", a large park area, occupies a large section of the square. The love of the city inhabitants for cricket is of British origin, from the period of British domination (1814-1864).
It is one of the most central and popular sites of the city and a tourist destination.
See also
*Liston (Corfu)
Liston (Greek: Λιστόν) is a pedestrian street and district in the western edge of Spianada in Corfu (city).
It was constructed during the French rule in the Ionian Islands (1807–1814) imitating the rue de Rivoli. It is one of the most pop ...
Gallery
File:Korfu`s arkaden - panoramio.jpg, Arcades of '' Liston''
File:Església de la Mare de Déu Mandrakina, Corfú.JPG, Panagia Mandrakina Church
File:Maitland Monument - Spianada (March 2017).jpg, The Maitland Monument
The Maitland Monument, also known as the Maitland Rotunda or the Peristyle of Maitland ( gr, Περιστύλιο του Μαίτλαντ), is a neoclassical monument located at the end of Spianada Square in Corfu. It was built in 1821 to honou ...
File:Corfu town houses.jpg, Houses at the square
File:Korfu0064.JPG, A fountain
File:20140418 corfu551.JPG, Philharmonic Society at the square
References
{{coord, 39.623, 19.925, type:landmark_region:GR, display=title
Squares in Greece
Buildings and structures in Corfu (city)
Italianate architecture in Greece
French rule in the Ionian Islands (1807–1814)
Cricket in Greece