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HISTORY OF CORFU
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Situated in a commanding position at the mouth of Adriatic
Sea, , at the most westerly point of Greece, and at the crossroads of East
and West, Corfu has a past that has always been turbulent, a result of
constant claims on it by enemy functions. For Corfu, Greek civilization began
in the 8th century BC, when it became first an Eretrian settlement and then a
Corithian colony. At this time, the town was located to the south of its
present site, on the Kanoni peninsula. It soon gained independence from the
mother city-state and was able, both by its economic and by its naval
strength, to dominate the Ionian and Adriatic seas, while at the same time
mainly during the 6th and 5th centuries BC, it was developing important
artistic traditions. But from the end of the 5th century, Corfu was weakened
by internal strife, and the island became the “apple of discord” between the
Romans and the Illyrians. From the 4th century AD onwards, it was part of
Byzantine Empire and it was during this period, in the 6th century, that the
ancient town was abandoned after repeated barbarian raids. The new town was
founded to the north of the old one, on a twin-peaked peninsula where today
the Old Fortress stands. Always a target of enemy attacks, the fortified
“Town of the Peaks” (Coryfo), as it was called during Byzantine times, survived
constant sieges. In 1207 Corfu was ceded to the Venetians by the victorious
knights of the Fourth Crusade. Subsequently, the Despot of Epirus, in 1217,
the Anjou dynasty in 1267, took the island. After more than a hundred years
of Angevin domination, Corfu fell for the second time under Venetian
sovereignty. In 1386 the flag of Serene Republic was raised on the peak of
the Old Fortress, heralding 400 years of stability, a period that more then
any other was to give Corfu its special characteristics. |
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The importance to the Venetians of Corfu’s position,
and the repeated enemy threats, led to the fortification of the town, a major
undertaking which started in the 15th century and continued until the 18th, when
the Venetian rule ended. The fortifications, initially the Old Fortress and
later the walls that enclosed the town and the New Fortress were strong
enough to withstand Turkish raids in 1537, 1571, 1571 and 1716 and thus to
foil the Turks’ attempts to overrun Europe. Corfu was the bastion of the
Venetian Republic but Napoleon in 1797 brought Corfu under the rule of the
French, and on 21st March 1800, after Napoleon’s surrender to the Russian
Turkish alliance, the island was recognized as the capital of the Septinsular
State. After a second period under French domination, (1807-1814) Corfu
became in 1815 the capital of the State of the Ionian Islands, under the
protection of the British. The same year, at the Congress of Vienna, John
Kapodistrias who was to become the first President of Greece, proposed the
creation of a new state. During the 19th century the artistic and cultural
tradition continued. At this time many Greek scholars were fleeing their
Turkish-dominated homelands. Finding a haven in Corfu, they turned it into
the most important cultural center in Greece. The first Greek university was
established the Ionian Academy (1824-1868) and quickly started to produce the
first great scientists of the new Greek State. After 50 years under British
protection, in 1864 Corfu was finally united with the motherland. The great
Greek poet Dionysios Solomos, who spent the second part of his life on Corfu,
made a mark on the intellectual life of the island. Part of his poem “Hymn to
Liberty” was set to music by the Corfiot composer Nikolaos Mantzaros and
subsequently became the Greek National Anthem. |
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The Old Town is one of the most charming parts of
the Corfiot capital and owes its peculiar architectural planning to the rules
set by the Venetians for its defense. Built between the walls and the two
Venetians castles, the Old Town offers both resident and visitor the
opportunity for romantic strolls in enchanting surroundings. Here, in the
picturesque ‘‘ maze of the narrow streets (Kadounia), under the tall buildings
and among small squares and old churches, the present meets the past, and it
seems that time stands still. The charming housing blends harmoniously with
the impressive arcades of the building of Liston and the majestic 19th
century Palace of St. George, which borders the largest and most beautiful
square in Greece: The Esplanade. The architectural richness of the town
continues in the picturesque streets of the busy commercial center and also
in more quiet neighborhoods where among old mansion-houses stand the present
Town Hall (17th century), the Ionian Parliament(1852), and the old Government
House (1840). Most important amongst the many churches (mainly from the 16th
to the 18th centuries) are the Metropolitan Church (16th Century) and the
Church of the Patron Saint of Corfu St. Spiridon ( 16th century) where,
respectively, the holy remains of St. Theodora Augusta and the island’s holy
protector are kept. Most important of the town monuments are the Maitland
Rotonda (19th century) in the upper part of the Esplanade, the burial
monument of Menecrates (circa 600 B.C.) in Garitsa and the Byzantine church
of St. Jason and St. Sosipater (ca. 1000 AD) in Anemomylos as well as the
ruins of the early Christian Basilica of Paleopolis and the archaic temples
in the Kanoni peninsula. The local customs, the processions, theatrical and
especially the musical activities, the artistic festivals offer many
opportunities for recreation both in and out of town, and complete the
enchanting atmosphere of the historical capital of Corfu. |
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