Corfu is the most northerly of the large Islands of
the Ionian Sea, and is second only to
Cefalonia, among those islands, in terms of area. With Cefalonia, Zakynthos,
Lefkada, Paxoi, Ithaki, and Kythera it forms the administrative group known as
the Ionian Islands. The prefecture
of Corfu consists of Corfu
itself, Paxoi, Antipaxoi, Othoni, Ereikousa and Mathraki.. The island lies at
the mouth of the Adriatic Sea, close to the mainland coast of Greece and Albania, from which it became geographically
separated in the distant part. Cape Agios Stefanos, in the northern part of the
island, is only 2.5 km
from the mainland of Albania.
Corfu has an area of 592 sq. km and a
population of 92,000.
Geography
The island is elongated and sickle-shaped. In the north, the maximum width from the east to west is 21 km., gradually dwindling as we move south until the island is only 7 km.Wide at its southernmost extremity. The coastline of Corfu is widely varied. In the east, the land slopes gently down to charming little bays and coves. The largest bays on the east side are those of Corfu town and Lefkimmi, while on the west, where the coastline is steep and rocky, there are tiny inlets, many of them of the greatest beauty. All around Corfu are islets, including Vido and Lazareto in the bay of Corfu town, and the famous Pontikonisi close to the Chalkiopoulou lagoon. Most of the ground on Corfu is low-lying, though there are three ranges of moderately high hills. The highest peak, Mt Pantokratoras (906m.), is in the north- east of the island, with the peaks of Vistonas and Araklis further to the west. A lower range whose highest peak is Mt Agyii Deka (576m.) runs cross-wise across the center of the island, with the Ropa valley further to the north an the low hills of Chlomos (330m.) in a southerly direction. Close to this is Lake Korission, with a length of 12 km. And a maximum width of 1,300 m., separated from the sea by a narrow spit of sand. There are few rivers, almost all of which run dry during the summer. The largest of the is the Mesongi river, which rises on Mt Ayii Deka and flows into the sea in the bay of Corfu Town.
Climate
The climate of Corfu is of the category known as maritime Mediterranean, with cool summers (when the temperature averages 27oC) and mild winters (average temperature 10oC).In Greek terms, the humidity is relatively high, thanks to the prevailing north-westerly and westerly winds, which cause abundant rainfall throughout the year. As a result, the island is thickly wooded and its landscape is idyllically verdant.
History
The house of the history of Corfu has been directly connected with its geographical position.
As a crossroads between east and wes, it has seen the
passage of numerous conquerors across its soil. The seems to have been first
inhabited in the Paleolithic period (30,000 – 7,000 BC), as evidenced by finds
that came to light in the Grava cave at Gardiki in the south west of Corfu. The Plaeokastritsa area has yielded finds date
form the Late Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, and the sites of various
Neolithic settlements have been discovered, the most important of which is at
Sidari on the north coast (6000-2600 BC). The Neolithic civilization of Corfu,
and the Bronze Age culture which followed it (3000-1100 BC), have much more in
common with prehistoric cultures of Apulia in southern Italy that they do with
the culture of mainland Greece, and there are traces of influence from other
parts of the Balkans. The first settlement of Greeks on Corfu of which we can
be sure took place around 760-750 BC, and the expedition set out from the city
of Eretria in Euboea.
Next followed: THE ROMAN PERIOD (229 BC – 395 AD), THE BYZANTINE PERIOS (395 –
1267) the first period of Venetian rule (1207-1214), THE ANGEVINS (1267-1386),
THE SECOND PERIOD OF VENETIAN RULE (1386 - 1797),THE FIRST PERIOD OF FRENCH
RULE (1797 – 1799), THE RUSSO – TURKISH OCCUPATION THE SEPTINSULAR STATE (1799
– 1807), SECOND PERIOD OF FRECH RULE (1807 – 1814), THE BRITISH PROTECTORATE
(1816 – 1964)… and in the end on 21 May of 1864 after many years of efforts the
Ionian islands were incorporated in to the Greek state . however, Britain did not make this concession without
taking political considerations into account.: it was Britain which insisted that a Danish prince whom
it trusted to installed, at the same time, as King George I of Greece.
After the treaty of unification was signed, the Ionian islands were compelled
to demolish all their fortifications, while Corfu
and Paxoi were declared neutral territory. However, the neutrality of Corfu proved on a number of occasions to be something of
a formality. During the First World War, Entente forces landed Serbian and
French troops on the island, and in early 1916 the Serbian government –in –
exile established itself there. A year later, Serbian Prime Minister Pasic and
South Slav representative Trubic signed what was known as the “Corfu
declaration” which laid the foundations for the formation of Yugoslavia by
the Serbs, the Croats and the Slovenians. Corfu’s neutrality was violated once
more in 1923, when the Italian holding Greece responsible for the
assassination of the Italian general Tallini, bombed the island and occupied
it. The Italian bombed Corfu once again when
the Second World War broke out, and later, in 1943 it was raided mercilessly by
the Germans, who occupied it and remained in control of it until the end of the
War in 1945
Mythology
According to tradition, the modern Greek name for the
island – Kerkyra – came from the Nymph Cercyra (or Corcyra
in the Doric dialect), who was the daughter of the river-god Asopus.
The god Poseidon fell in love with the beautiful
maiden, abducted her, and lay with her on the island. The fruit of their union
was Phaeax, the mythical primogenitor of the Phaeaceans who lived on Corfu in antiquity. According to another version of the
story, the name of the Nymph Cercyra is cognate with the demonic ancient deity
Corgyra or Gorgo. This view has been reinforced by the discoveries made at a temple of Artemis found near the capital of the
island: on the pediment of the temple was a depiction of precisely this demon
Gorgo , who may well have been a kind of mythological forerunner to Artemis
herself. Many other names are used for Corfu
in the literature of the ancient Greeks. Its length caused it ot be called
Makris (= long) and its shape Drepani (= sickle). According to information
preserved by Hesiod and Apollonius from Rhodes,
the name Drepane was connected with the creation myth involving Cronus and
Zeus. During the Middle Ages, the name Corypho (from ‘coryphi’, a peak) came to
be used for the twin peaked acropolis occupied by the Old Fortress of Corfu
town, to which the city had been confined after a raid by the Goths in the
sixth century AD. This name was the origin of the nomenclature Corfu, by which,
of course, the island is known today everywhere in the world except Greece. A still
earlier name is given by Homer, in the Odyssey: Scheria, the famous country of
the Phaeaceans.
Landscapes-Sights
Corfu
town is not the only place to have monuments; they are to be found all over the
island as in controvertible witnesses to the brilliance of its history.
Nor does the modern era lag behind in any way, for the
countryside of Corfu is a succession of
landscapes of unrivalled beauty. The island is densely wooded, with olive
groves that convey an air of serenity and go some ways towards masking the
steeply plunging cliffs of the west and with idyllic mountain hamlets peeping
out of the greenery higher up the hills. Along the coast, the tone is set by
quaint fishing villages built close to the water's edge, or near sandy beaches
where bathers in their hundreds enjoy the sun and the cool sea. In the summer
months, the constantly increasing tourist industry makes Corfu
buzz, but there is no shortage of more isolated corners which hold out against
modern developments and retain much of their authenticity. There, the serenity
of the landscape brings earth and sky closer together and the aromas borne on
the wind remind us that this is a place the gods have touched.
The Corfu
Town
Corfu
town, the capital of the island, has a population of around 30,000 and is the
centre of economic, political and cultural life for the Corfiots.
It is the chief town of the Prefecture of Corfu, and as such is the location of most of the public authorities (banks, law-courts, prisons, hospital, consulates, the National Tourist Organisation, etc.). It is the seat of the Metropolitan Bishop of Corfu and Paxoi, whose official church is St Spyridon. A complete educational system consists of primary and secondary schools (junior and senior), private schools, foreign-language schools, vocational training schools, and a university (the Ionian University, with departments of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting, Music, and History). There is a good public transport network, with town buses and services to nearly all the villages. There are daily flights and ferry departures to other parts of Greece and other countries, which facilitate the highly-developed commerce and tourism of the island.
The large numbers of tourists who visit Corfu each year give the island a cosmopolitan air. In order to meet the needs of the tourist trade, many hotel and apartment units have been constructed in recent decades; these are fully-equipped and comply fully with modern requirements. Shops and other establishments dedicated to the tourist industry are to be found all over the town, together with quaint taverns and deluxe restaurants, old-style coffee-shops and modern outdoor cafes, and discos and bars which are open until late into the night.
There is a casino in the Corfu
Hilton International hotel, while there are also football pitches, golf courses
and tennis courts, a stadium, a swimming-pool and a Yacht Club, all open to
visitors as well as local people. The beaches at Mon Repos and the Yacht Club are
suitable for swimming and sea sports.
The Corfiots have been known since ancient times for their love of song, dance and merrymaking. Today they hold frequent cultural events and festivals each year. Their religious feasts are of particular interest, consisting of services and processions through the town to the accompaniment of music played by the town band. The procession of St Spyridon (see p. 100) and that in which the icon of Our Lady is carried round the town on 15 August rival Easter itself in the number of people whom they attract to the alleys and churches of Corfu and in the atmosphere of devotion which they create.
The Corfiots have been known since ancient times for their love of song, dance and merrymaking. Today they hold frequent cultural events and festivals each year. Their religious feasts are of particular interest, consisting of services and processions through the town to the accompaniment of music played by the town band. The procession of St Spyridon (see p. 100) and that in which the icon of Our Lady is carried round the town on 15 August rival Easter itself in the number of people whom they attract to the alleys and churches of Corfu and in the atmosphere of devotion which they create.
The religious parts of these
feasts are accompanied by secular merrymaking, with much eating, singing and
dancing. The anniversary of the union of the Dodecanese with Greece is
celebrated on 21 May each year, while the festivities of the Carnival occupy
the last three Sundays before the beginning of Lent. During the summer, there
are lectures, concerts, theatrical productions and performances of folk dancing
and ballets. From May to September, a 'Son et Lumiere' event is held at the Old
Fortress, and on 10 August the so called 'Barcarola' is celebrated. In
September, the Corfu Festival attracts the participation of artists and
ensembles from all over Greece
and from other countries and games of cricket against visiting English teams
are often held on the Spianada during the summer months. The centre of all
these events and indeed of social life in Corfu
more generally, has for centuries been the Spianada. Divided by Dousmani St into
the Upper and Lower Piazza, the Spianada is surrounded by some of the most
notable monuments in Corfu and has a superb view of the Municipal Gardens,
the Contrafossa and the Old Fortress, on its eastern side.
On the west side, cafes and restaurants operate beneath the arches of the Liston, and visitors can enjoy their coffee or try one of the specialities of the local cuisine ('pastitsada' beef with spaghetti, “sofrito” beef with garlic, fish in a “bourdeto” sauce), washed down with a good island wine or perhaps with ginger beer, one of the relics of the period of British rule. On the Spianada, traditional horse-drawn carriages are available for hire, and the driver provides a tour of some of the prettier parts of town. North of the Spianada - behind the Palace - begins Arseniou St, which runs above the sea-order, with neo-Classical elements, and it is surrounded by densely-vegetated gardens adorned with important works of art. In 1908, after the death of Elizabeth, the Achilleio was bought by Wilhelm II, the German Kaiser, and in 1914 - on the outbreak of the First World War it was abandoned. In 1915, it was used as the headquarters of the Serbian Army and as a hospital, coming into the hands of the Greek state in 1919. During the Second World War it served as a hospital again - and as the headquarters of the German and Italian occupying forces - and after liberation it houses a variety of schools and institutions. Today, it belongs to the National Tourist Organisation and from 1962 to 1992 Corfu casino operated there. The ground floor of the building functions as a museum.
We enter the Achilleio through an
iron gate ornamented with two bronze relief’s, of Zeus Cleft) and Achilles
(right). The first room on the ground floor, the reception hall, has a fresco
in the centre of its ceiling, by the Italian painter Galopi, on the theme of
The Four Seasons and the Hours. Also of interest in this room are the Italian
marble fireplace, two statuettes of Athena and Hebe (above the fireplace, by
the German sculptor Heinemann), and a painting of Elizabeth by the German artist Witter halter.
At the far end of the reception hall, a magnificent staircase flanked by bronze
statues of Zeus and Hera and by a large collection of marble and plaster
sculptures (of Zeus, Niobe, Artemis, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes and Pan) leads
to the upper floors. To the right of the reception room is the Empress's
Catholic chapel. In the sanctuary apse are representations of Christ and
Pontius Pilate, beneath which is an icon of Christ and Our Lady (by Franz
Matz). There are two recesses with statues of Christ and Our Lady, an altar and
a harmonium. Next to the chapel is a room with mementoes of Elizabeth: medallions, photographs,
paintings, candlesticks, furniture, a front through the district called the
Mourayia, along the Venetian sea-walls. There is a wonderful view from here
across to the coast of Albania.
The sea-front road, now called Athinagora
St, leads down to the harbour, one of the busiest
in Greece.
Not far out at sea is the islet called Vido, ancient Ptychia, to which caiques
ply daily. Until 1864, there was a Venetian fortress on Vido. Now it is
disused.
Above the harbour towers the hill
on which stands the New Fortress, with its Venetian outworks. At 79 Solomou St,
close to the entrance to the New Fortress, is a modern museum of considerable
interest: the Maritime Museum of Napoleondas Sayias. Founded in 1989 with
exhibits which its owner had collected from all over the world, it contains
shells, pieces of coral, fossils, shark jaws, crabs, lobsters, snakes,
starfish, sponges, micro-organisms and much more. The most unforgettable
experience awaiting the visitor is, however, a stroll through the centre of Corfu town and in particular through the old-world
Campiel10 district. The narrow alleys (“kantounia”) lined with tall buildings,
often spanned by arches or by the washing-lines of the townsfolk, the
attractive little squares with their carved stone wells, the churches with
their elegant bell-towers, and the occasional mansion with skilfully wrought
balconies and hanging lanterns help to create a medieval atmosphere to be found
nowhere else in Greece. Of al-most equal interest is the market, in the streets
to the west of the Spianada: Nikiforou
Theotoki St, spanned with arches (“volta”), still retains many traces of the Venetian
period.
The Ionian Bank building, at the
intersection of N.Theotoki and Filarmonikis Sts, houses a collection of
banknotes covering the period from Turkish times down to the present day. There
is also an exhibition of photographs showing how coins are minted. Despite the
number of new buildings that have been constructed to meet the needs of tourism
and the merciless destruction that others have undergone over the centuries -
culminating in the German bombing raids of 1943 - Corfu can still boast private
and public buildings of the greatest value for the Greek cultural heritage. In
every corner of the town are traces of all those whose fate it was to tread the
ground of the island and add another piece to the mosaic of its history. Since
1976, Corfu town has been on the list of Europe's
most historic cities, and efforts are still being made to conserve as much as
possible of its historic atmosphere. An enormous programme of maintenance work
on the monuments of Corfu began in 1992-1994,
on the occasion of the town being chosen as the venue for the European Union
summit meeting during the Greek Presidency of the Community.
Landscapes On The Island
Corfu
town is not the only place to have monuments; they are to be found all over the
island as in controvertible witnesses to the brilliance of its history.
Nor does the modern era lag behind in any way, for the
countryside of Corfu is a succession of
landscapes of unrivalled beauty. The island is densely wooded, with olive
groves that convey an air of serenity and go some ways towards masking the
steeply plunging cliffs of the west and with idyllic mountain hamlets peeping
out of the greenery higher up the hills. Along the coast, the tone is set by
quaint fishing villages built close to the water's edge, or near sandy beaches
where bathers in their hundreds enjoy the sun and the cool sea. In the summer
months, the constantly increasing tourist industry makes Corfu
buzz, but there is no shortage of more isolated corners which hold out against
modern developments and retain much of their authenticity. There, the serenity
of the landscape brings earth and sky closer together and the aromas borne on
the wind remind us that this is a place the gods have touched.
Kanoni - Perama
Towards the south end of Corfu
town is gently-curving Garitsa bay, whose shore is an ideal place for a stroll
or a trip in a horse-drawn carriage.
At the south end of Garitsa bay stands the Kanoni
promontory, where most of the oldest monuments of Corfu
are concentrated. Those closest to the town are the circular cenotaph of
Menecrates and the church
of Sts Jason and
Sosipater. Not far away is the Palaiopoli district, where the ancient city of Corcyra stood. Further to
the west, near the ancient Hyllaean harbour, are the remains of the temple of
Artemis, while in Palaiopoli itself, by the entrance to Mon Repos, we can see
what has remained of the Early Christian basilica of St Cercyra. The densely
wooded Mon Repos estate was used after 1831 as the summer residence of High
Commissioner Frederick Adam, and later belonged to the Greek royal family.
Inside it, the High Commissioner's miniature palace has survived, and
archaeologists have excavated the Kardaki temple and the temple of Hera.
At Kardaki, close to the sea, is the spring by the same name which supplied the
ancient city with water. Today, there is a fountain there, with a lion's-head
spout, from which rushes a constant flow of cool water. Lorenzos Mavilis
describes the Kardaki spring in one of his finest sonnets, while there is also
a folk saying according to which, "any stranger who wets his lips at the
spring will never return home to his own people". Above Kardaki rises
Analipsi hill, with a magical view across the sea to the coast of Epirus and also north over Corfu
itself. The village
of Analipsi is the site
of the ancient acropolis, on which a few traces of buildings still remain.
At the southern end of the promontory, 4 km. from the centre of Corfu town, is Kanoni, a place of international renown. It took its name from a cannon which the French set up there. Although Kanoni is one of the busiest places on the island and despite the number of hotels and other tourist facilities that cluster around it, it is still as picturesque as ever thanks to its unique view. Below the viewpoint, a metal bridge leads out from the promontory to an islet on which stands the seventeenth-century Vlacherna Monastery, Corfu's immediately recognisable trademark. Further out is another islet, Pontikonisi, whose clump of cypress trees has served as a source of inspiration for artists from all over the world. According to tradition, the islet was originally the ship of the Phaeacians which Poseidon turned to stone as it sailed back from taking Odysseus to Ithaca. On Pontikonisi stands the Byzantine church of Christ Pantocrator (eleventh-twelfth century), to which there is a pilgrimage on 6 August. Caiques from Kanoni take visitors out to Pontikonisi through the summer months.
From Kanoni, a narrow bridge runs across the Chalkiopoulou lagoon (the ancient Hyllaean harbour), close to the end of the runway of Corfu airport, and ends on the other side of the lagoon at Perama. This is a small tourist village set among olive trees, with good swimming beaches.
At the southern end of the promontory, 4 km. from the centre of Corfu town, is Kanoni, a place of international renown. It took its name from a cannon which the French set up there. Although Kanoni is one of the busiest places on the island and despite the number of hotels and other tourist facilities that cluster around it, it is still as picturesque as ever thanks to its unique view. Below the viewpoint, a metal bridge leads out from the promontory to an islet on which stands the seventeenth-century Vlacherna Monastery, Corfu's immediately recognisable trademark. Further out is another islet, Pontikonisi, whose clump of cypress trees has served as a source of inspiration for artists from all over the world. According to tradition, the islet was originally the ship of the Phaeacians which Poseidon turned to stone as it sailed back from taking Odysseus to Ithaca. On Pontikonisi stands the Byzantine church of Christ Pantocrator (eleventh-twelfth century), to which there is a pilgrimage on 6 August. Caiques from Kanoni take visitors out to Pontikonisi through the summer months.
From Kanoni, a narrow bridge runs across the Chalkiopoulou lagoon (the ancient Hyllaean harbour), close to the end of the runway of Corfu airport, and ends on the other side of the lagoon at Perama. This is a small tourist village set among olive trees, with good swimming beaches.
Benitses - Moraitika - Mesongi - Chlomos - Korission
Lagoon
Close to Gastouri, 13 km. south of Corfu town, is Benitses, once, a small village but in
recent years a centre for tourist development and a place whose night-life is
renowned.
The village stands in an area rich in orange and lemon
trees and has a pebble beach. The remains of a Roman baths have been excavated
in the area, and a Roman villa (of the third century AD) with a mosaic floor
has come to light. Moraitika, an¬other former fishing village, is now equally
cosmopolitan in at¬mosphere. It is 7
km. south of Benitses and has a sandy beach. Here, too,
a Roman house has been discovered; it may well have been the summer residence
of an Imperial official. At Meson¬gi, 2 km. further along the road south, there is a long beach and a camp site, and the little Mesongi River flows into the sea close to the
village. A turning near Mesongi leads to Chlomos, con¬sisting of old houses
built on a hill. A turning in the other direc¬tion will take us to the Koris¬sion
lagoon, separated from the sea by sand hills which have an excellent beach on
their outer side. The lagoon is now a sched¬uled wetland and serves as a
nat¬ural breeding-ground for fish. A few specimens of the threatened Caretta
Caretta species of turtle have also made their home here.
Sailing in the Greek Ionian Sea
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