Ionian Sea. Corfu
December 5, 2007
Corfu (Kerkyra) is the most important and most northerly of the Ionian islands and is situated only 1 nm off the coast of Albania and the Greek region of Epirus. It offers gentle green uplands in the south and rugged limestone hills in the north, rising to 906 m in the double peak of Pantokrator.
History of Corfu
Ancient: Corfu (ancient: Korkyra, Corcyra) is identified as the Homeric Scheria, the land of the Phaeacians and their king Alkinoos. The oldest traces of human settlement on the island point to the presence of farming peoples who may have come from Italy.
Corfu was colonized by Corinth in 734 BCE, but developed into a powerful State, which threatened the mother city. A naval victory by the Corinthians over the Corcyraeans in the Sybota Islands (probably round the mouth of the River Kalamas, which is now silted up) was a major factor in the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. In 229 BCE the island was captured by Rome, and when the Empire was finally split in two in 395 became part of the Byzantine Empire.
Medieval: The medieval name of the island, now the accepted English name, is believed to be derived from the Greek Koryphi (Peaks).
From 1386 to 1797 Corfu was held by Venice, thereafter it was briefly part of the Napoleonic empire; and in 1815, together with the rest of the Ionian islands, it was assigned to Britain. It was reunited with Greece in 1864.
In the course of its eventful history the island was frequently devastated and plundered, so that it has preserved few relics of ancient or medieval times.
Corfu today
The island’s capital, Corfu town (Kerkyra), is beautifully situated on a promontory on the east coast, dominated by the Neo Frourio (New Fortress). The ancient city is further south. Corfu is the seat of both, a Greek Orthodox and a Roman Catholic archbishop.
From the harbour you can go either east on the road running above the seafront (view), passing the old royal palace, or south-east along Odos Nikiforou, the town’s busy main road.
Visit Sidari at the North of Corfu to swim in the Canal d’Amour; lovers will stay together for life.
An attractive excursion from Corfu town is to the villa of Ahillion, 16 km south. This villa in Italian Renaissance style, situated at an altitude of 145 m, has magnificent gardens and panoramic views. It was built for Princess Sissy of Austria and since then has been used as a holiday resort for many kings and princes of all Europe. Today is a museum
Three kilometers further south is the charming fishing village of Benitses and its remains of a Roman villa.
Palaiokastritsa - on the East side of Corfu Island - is a lively and attractive tourist resort dominated by the Monastery of Panayia Theotokos on a high crag.
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