Ionian Islands (Corfu, Zakynthos, Kefalonia) December 27-28, 2019
I took the ferry (Kerkyra Seaways www.kerkyraseaways.gr or www.corfuferries.gr but these don’t seem to work or even give timetables! But ferries leave Igoumenitsa at 7:30, 9, 14:00, 15:30 and 20:30 and return from Corfu at 6, 11, 12, 16:30 and 18:00 every day) I took the early one at 07:30 from Igoumenitsa, on mainland Greece, to Corfu (€51 – 40+11). I had 4 whole days to kill on the Ionian Islands or Igoumenitsa, before I get my ferry, also from Igoumenitsa, to Venice on December 31.
CORFU
A Greek island in the Ionian Sea, it is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The islands of Othonoi, Ereikoussa and Mathraki are the other municipalities. The principal city of the island (pop. 32,095) is also named Corfu. Corfu is home to the Ionian University.
HISTORY
Early history. It was the Homeric island of Scheria and its earliest inhabitants were the Phaeacians. Corfu was peopled by settlers from Corinth, probably 730 BC, Roman and medieval history.
Korkyra was one of the three great naval powers of fifth century BC Greece, along with Athens and Corinth. Ruins of ancient Greek temples and other archaeological sites of the ancient city of Korkyra are found in Palaiopolis.
Christianity arrived in Corfu early; two disciples of Saint Paul, Jason of Tarsus and Sosipatrus of Patras, taught the Gospel, and according to tradition the city of Corfu and much of the island converted to Christianity. Their relics were housed in the old cathedral (at the site of the current Old Fortress, before a dedicated church was built for them c. 100 AD.
In 551, during the Gothic War, the Ostrogoths raided the island and destroyed the city of Corfu and the main settlement was moved north, to the location of the current Old Fortress, where the rocky hills offered natural protection against raids. From the twin peaks of the new site, the medieval city received its new name, Korypho (city on the peak). The previous site of the city, now known as Palaiopolis (old city), continued to be inhabited for several centuries.
Throughout the middle Byzantine period (8th–12th centuries), Corfu was “an important staging post for travels between East and West”. Corfu enjoyed relative peace and safety during the Macedonian dynasty (867–1054), which allowed the construction of a monumental church to Saints Iason and Sosipatrus outside the city wall of Palaiopolis. Following the Norman conquest of Southern Italy, the ambitious Norman monarchs set their sights on expansion in the East. Three times on the space of a century Corfu was the first target and served as a staging area for the Norman invasions of Byzantium.
The island was one of the first places in Europe in which Romani people (“Gypsies”) settled. In about 1360, a fiefdom, called the Feudum Acinganorum was established, with mainly Romani serfs. From 1386, Corfu was controlled by the Republic of Venice, which in 1401 acquired formal sovereignty and retained it until the French Occupation of 1797.
Venetian rule. From medieval times and into the 17th century, the island was recognised as a bulwark of the European States against the Ottoman Empire and became one of the most fortified places in Europe. The fortifications of the island were used by the Venetians from 1401 until 1797 to defend against Ottoman intrusion into the Adriatic in four notable sieges in 1537, 1571, 1573 and 1716. The strength of the city defences asserted itself time after time. It was one of the few parts of Greece never conquered by the Ottomans. The repulse of the Ottomans was widely celebrated in Europe, Corfu being seen as a bastion of Western civilization against the Ottoman tide.
Venetian policies and legacy. Corfu’s urban architecture differs from that of other major Greek cities with multi-storied buildings on narrow lanes. The Old Town of Corfu has clear Venetian influence and is amongst the World Heritage Sites in Greece. It was in the Venetian period that the city saw the erection of the first opera house (Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù) in Greece. Many Venetian-speaking families settled in Corfu during these centuries. Venetians promoted the Catholic Church, but today, the majority of Corfiots are Greek Orthodox, with a small Catholic minority (5%).
Its local cuisine took in such elements and today’s Corfiot cooking includes Venetian delicacies and recipes: “Pastitsada”, deriving from the Venetian “Pastissada” (Italian: “Spezzatino”) and the most popular dish in the island of Corfu, “Sofrito”, “Strapatsada”, “Savoro”, “Bianco” and “Mandolato”.
British Control. The Ionian Islands became a protectorate of the United Kingdom by the Treaty of Paris of 5 November 1815 as the United States of the Ionian Islands. The period of British rule is sometimes considered a prosperous period with new roads, an improved water supply system, and the building of the first Greek university. During this period the Greek language became official.
Following a plebiscite the Second National Assembly of the Greeks at Athens elected a new king, Prince Wilhelm (William) of Denmark, who took the name George I and brought with him the Ionian Islands as a coronation gift from Britain. In 1864, the Ionian Islands were united with Greece.
WWII. During the Greco-Italian War, Corfu was occupied by the Italians in April 1941. Upon the fall of Italian fascism in 1943, the Nazis moved to take control of the island. On 14 September 1943, Corfu was bombarded by the Luftwaffe. The Nazi bombing raids destroyed most of the city’s buildings, including churches, homes, and whole city blocks, especially in the Jewish quarter Evraiki, the city’s market, the hotel Bella Venezia, the historic buildings of the Ionian Academy, the Municipal Theatre (which in 1901 had replaced the Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù), the Municipal Library, and the Ionian Parliament. Corfu’s mayor at the time, Kollas, was a known collaborator and various anti-semitic laws were passed by the Nazis that now formed the occupation government of the island. In early June 1944, while the Allies bombed Corfu as a diversion from the Normandy landings, the Gestapo rounded up the Jews of the city, temporarily incarcerated them at the old fort (Palaio Frourio), and on 10 June sent them to Auschwitz, where very few survived. Approximately two hundred out of a total population of 1,900 escaped. Many among the local population at the time provided shelter and refuge to those 200 Jews that managed to escape the Nazis. In the Jewish quarter, there is currently a synagogue with about 65 members, who still speak their original Italkian language. Corfu was liberated by British in October 1944.
Post–World War and modern Corfu. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, the island was rebuilt under the general programme of reconstruction of the Greek Government (Ανοικοδόμησις) and many elements of its classical architecture remain.
Medieval castles punctuating strategic locations across the island are a legacy of struggles in the Middle Ages against invasions by pirates and the Ottomans. Two of these castles enclose its capital, which is the only city in Greece to be surrounded in such a way. As a result, Corfu’s capital has been officially declared a Kastropolis (“castle city”) .
In 2007, the city’s old town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The island is a very popular tourist destination.
Geography. The northeastern edge of Corfu lies off the coast of Sarandë, Albania, separated by straits varying in width from 3 to 23km. Its shape resembles a sickle, the concave side, with the city and harbour of Corfu in the centre, lies toward the Albanian coast. The island’s area is 592.9 square kilometres,64km long, with greatest breadth at around 32 km.
Two high and well-defined ranges divide the island into three districts.
Beaches are found in Agios Gordis, the Korission Lagoon, Agios Georgios, Marathia, Kassiopi, Sidari, Palaiokastritsa and many others. Corfu’s coastline spans 217kms including capes; its highest point is Mount Pantokrator (911m). Corfu has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate.
Old Fortress. On an island and separated by a land moat, this sits atop a small mountain. At the base is a British Army Barracks from 1813 and the Latin Chapel of Madonna del Carmine (1636-71). Both were closed.
New Fortress. In the aftermath of the first great Ottoman siege of Corfu in 1537, the Venetians developed plans to expand the fortifications of the city. Due to the great civilian losses, the Corfu city council sent diplomatic representatives to Venice complaining about the lack of fortifications for the parts of the city of Corfu lying outside the walls of the medieval citadel. To achieve their goals the Venetians razed 2,000 homes in the suburb of San Rocco, and built new fortifications and walls in their place at great expense. After the fortification works were completed the Venetians built the New Fortress at the hill of St. Mark to further strengthen the defences of the outer city of Corfu and to act as the focal point of the new fortifications. The exact dating of the structure is not established but was between 1572-1645.
The Fortress compound is divided into two levels. In the lower level there is a three-storey building called “Punta Perpetua” and a bastion of pentagonal shape. Inside the bastion there is a maze of arched chambers, galleries, ventilation shafts, stairs and ramps. Its western side features a dry moat which spans the length of the walls, running from the vegetable market to the new harbour. The moat is a good example of moat architecture.
The structure features twin bastions one of which is called “Bastion of the Seven Winds”. The bastion has a commanding view of the sea and the mountains of mainland Greece. Below the bastion there is a building which was built by the British and functioned as military barracks. Nowadays it houses art exhibits and collections as well as space for social events. The bastion is at a height of 55 m above sea level and features structures such as underground cisterns, powder magazines, artillery positions and underground halls.
I finally did my laundry on Corfu (€10 for 7kg and done for you). I stocked up on groceries so am already for my ferry to Venice and fast drive to the Netherlands.
Museum of Asian Art (Palace of St. Michael and St. George). The palace was built in the 19th century during English rule. The museum has been here since 1928 and holds 15,000 pieces of Asian art. €3
Capodistrias Museum (Corfu Reading Society), Evropouli. The home of Corfu writer R Dendrinu (1877-1974), the building signs are only in Greek and it was unclear if it was open.
Serbian Museum of Corfu. During WWI, the island served as a refuge for the Serbian army that retreated there on Allied forces’ ships from a homeland occupied by the Austrians, Germans and Bulgarians. During their stay, a large portion of Serbian soldiers died from exhaustion, food shortage, and various diseases. This museum details the story. €2
Achilleion, Achilleio. Built in 1889-91 by the Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary Elizabeth (Sissi). The name honours Homer’s hero Achilles whom she admired for his strength and beauty. The building is of Pompeian style. It served as a refuge for the grieving Empress following the tragic death of her only son and Crown Prince, Rudolf. She visited Achillion intermittently until 1898 when she was murdered in Gen0va by the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni. In 1907, her heirs sold it to the Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia Wilhelm II (Kaiser). He visited it as the centre of European diplomacy until 1914 when WWI was declared. In the war, it was a military hospital used by French and Serbian troops. After it became the property of the Hellenic state. In WWII, the Germans used is as headquarters. In 1962, a private company used is as a casino and has been a museum since 1994.
This is a grand 3-story mansion full of furniture, sculpture, paintings, fluted columns, wrought iron banisters, paintings and statues of Achilles, both in the main hall and in the gardens, depicting scenes of the Trojan War. Some ceilings are painted in over the top art and design. The third floor opens onto a big balcony with nice views across to the mainland. The centrepiece of the gardens is a marble statue on a high pedestal, of the mortally wounded Achilles. €10, 8 reduced
Mon Repos Estate (Palaeopolis). The villa was built as a summer residence for the British Lord High Commissioner of the United States of the Ionian Islands, Frederick Adam, and his second wife (a Corfiot), Diamantina ‘Nina’ Palatino, in 1828–1831, although they had to vacate the villa soon afterwards in 1832 when Adam was sent to serve in India. The villa was rarely used as a residence for the later British governors. In 1833, it housed a school of fine arts, while in 1834, the park was opened to the public. Empress Elisabeth of Austria stayed there in 1863. Here she fell in love with the island, where she later built the Achilleion Palace.
After the union with Greece in 1864, the villa was granted to King George I of the Hellenes as a summer residence; he renamed it Mon Repos. The royal family used it as a summer residence up until King Constantine II fled the country in 1967. The villa subsequently became derelict, but was restored in the 1990s.
Several royal births have taken place at the villa, including those of Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark on 26 June 1914, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on 10 June 1921, and Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark on 10 July 1965
The main manor house houses the Palaeopolis Museum with furniture and archaeology of the area, none very interesting. €2
The park has wonderful mature trees and windy paths leading to the Saint Euphemia monastery (closed), Tito building (just above the palace (closed), Saviour Christ Church (closed), Herailon (ruin) and Doric temple at Kardaki (ruin).
I wandered around most of Old Town Corfu. The residential end is tiny lanes, small courtyards and stairs. The buildings tend to be in need of repair and paint. The shopping end is full or restaurants, bars and modern shopping.
Royal Gate. The old town of Corfu was one of the most important fortified city-ports in the Mediterranean. Most of the fortifications are Venetian (1386-1797) with British additions (1815-64). These separated the city from the countryside and the sea with the New Fortress (1576-88) the main fortification. The British demolished large sections of the perimeter fortification with oly Searpon fort, 2 bastions and 2 of the four gates preserved. The Royal Gate was the principle gateway to the countryside and the main thoroughfare of the city ended here. It had a 26m long corridor. It was demolished by the city in 1892-93 to open up the street. Its position is marked by white pavement stones on the street.
Costas Georgakis (1948-70). A statue to this student from Corfu sits on the main street. He burned himself to death for the freedom and democracy in Greece in Genoa Italy – “I cannot do other than think and live as a free man”.
I returned to Igoumenista on December 28 in the afternoon, rather than stay on Corfu and risking being caught by a storm. This would be my chance to rest with 2½ days with absolutely nothing to do, my first rest in almost a year. I am exhausted from the frenetic pace I have kept up in that time.
But I was able to see 45 countries, almost 200 Nomad Mania regions and thousands of NM series sights. I’ve ended my two years traveling in Europe and western Asia with 132 countries, 662 NM regions (#90 in the world), 8339 NM sights (#9 in the world) and 624 World Heritage Sites. The year will be highlighted if I am the #1 Nomad Mania traveler in the world.
NOMAD MANIA Ionian Islands (Corfu, Zakynthos, Kefalonia)
World Heritage Sites: Old Town of Corfu
Tentative WHS: Late Medieval Bastioned Fortifications in Greece (16/01/2014)
Borders: Greece (sea border/port)
Islands
CORFU
World Heritage Sites: Old Town of Corfu
Airports: Corfu (CFU)
Museums: Serbian Museum of Corfu
House Museums/Plantations: Evropouli: Capodistrias Museum (Corfu Reading Society)
Castles, Palaces, Forts
Achilleio: Achilleion
Mon Repos
Museum of Asian Art (Palace of St. Michael and St. George)
Aquariums: Corfu Aquarium
ITHAKI
PAXOI ISLANDS
CEPHALONIA
Airports: Kefalonia (EFL)
Villages and Small Towns
Fiskardo (Kefalonia)
Sami (Sight)
Beaches: Myrtos Beach
Caves: Melissani Cave (Sight)
Lighthouses: Argostoli: Agion Theodoron Lighthouse (Lighthouse of Saint Theodoroi, Fanari LH)
LEFKADA (road access)
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Santa Maura Castle (The Venetian Castle of Agia Mavra)
Beaches: Porto Katsiki Beach
Waterfalls: Nidri Waterfalls
ZAKYNTHOS
Airports: Zakynthos (ZTH)
House Museums/Plantations: Museum of D. Solomos
Religious Temples: Church of Agia Marva
Entertainment/Things to do: Rope Swing Zakynthos
Beaches: Navagio Beach (Sight)
Caves: Blue Cave
OTHONOI ISLAND XL
Lighthouses: Othonoi: Kastri Lighthouse