Corfu Town - Corfu, Ionian Islands (Greece)

Corfu, the wooded isle of the Phaeacians, Odysseeus' last stop on his long journey home to Ithaca, is the best known of the lonian islands. It owes its sophistication and charm to the meshing of the different civilizations that have occupied the island and to the natural beauty with which it is so abundantly endowed. On this cosmopolitan island, you'll be able to combine relaxation with good times and a full nightlife, for Corfu is an international tourist centre which can satisfy the demands of the most difficult visitor.

The long dramatic history of Corfu begins with the occupation of the island by the Corinthians in 734 B.C.The following centuries are marked by periods of great naval power and artistic development.Civil wars that raged between 427 and 425 B.C.,caused the complete destruction of many fine works of art.One of the rare survivals,the pediment of the temple of Artemis,on view at the Archeologiacal Museum,is a magnificent sample of the high standard of the masters of the early Corinthian period.Roaman rule tasted from 229 B.C to 336 A.D.Little is known for the part playded by the island in the rivalries between Roman Consuls and Emperors.Christianity was first preached in the 1st century A.D by two disciples of St.Paul,Jason and Sosipatros.

Throughout the Byzantine period,Corfu was one of the bulwarks of the Empire as successive waves of Frankish and barbarian raiders looted the countryside and stormed its castles.For a short time it was taken over by Venice (1204-1214) and once for a longer period (1267-1386) it formed part of the kingdom of Sicily.Finally it became a Venetien possession.This longest of all foreign occupations (1386-1797) has left its everlasting imprint on the architecture of both town and village.With the defead of Venice by Buonapart in 1797,Corfu became a French possession,then swiftly passed from Russian to French hands again,until at the Treaty of Paris in 1815 the islands of the Ionian Sea were declared an independant state under the protection of Great Britain.There are several buildings,amongst which the fine Georgian Palace of St.Michael and St.George,dating from this period .In 1864 the union of the Ionian Islands with Greece took place and Corfu once more became an integral part of the country to which by tradition,language and loyalty it never ceased to belong.

The capital of the island is also called Corfu (Kerkira). It is built on a promontory that projects into the sea and is separated into a northern and a southern section. East of the northern part lies the Old Fortress, cut off from the town by a moat. For centuries all the popular of Corfu lived within this citadel, which was founded by the Byzantines but greatly expanded and strengthened by the Venetians. The town of Corfu is made up of completely dissimilar elements, left over from different civilizations. It presents an enchanting picture with its broad streets and spacious squares, the popular Spianada the town "green" contrasting with its narrow back alleys paved with blocks of stone (known as "Kantounia"), houses with a B Italian influence, the famous Liston, a French arcade, traditional Georgian mansions, a Byzantine church, Venetian monuments, balconies with wrought-iron railings and window grilles.