The Greek name, Kerkyra or Korkyra, is related to two powerful water deities: Poseidon, god of the sea, and Asopos, an important Greek mainland river. Then in the 19th century, as a British Protectorate, Corfu developed a musical heritage of its own and which constitutes the nucleus of modern Greek musical history. Neo Limani, the new port, also serves as a ferry connection between Greece and Italy. The island's culture absorbed Venetian influence in a variety of ways; like other Ionian islands (see Cuisine of the Ionian islands), 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". About Corfu Corfu is studded with whitewashed houses, Byzantine churches, and the remains of Venetian fortresses and Greek temples. Corfu is known as Greece’s emerald island because Corfu is one of the greenest islands in Greece. Greek Culture. Will Durant claimed that Corfu owed to the Republic of Venice the fact that it was one of the few parts of Greece never conquered by the Ottomans. There are several things Corfu is famous for, around the globe. First World War, "Corcyra" redirects here. Also many Italian Jews took refuge in Corfu during the Venetian centuries and spoke their own language (Italkian), a mixture of Hebrew-Italian in a Venetian or Apulian dialect with some Greek words. [62] Many among the local population at the time provided shelter and refuge to those 200 Jews that managed to escape the Nazis. Venetian blazon with the Lion of Saint Mark, as frequently found on the New Fortress walls, Panoramic view of Corfu (city) from the New Fortress, Detail of the south wing of the entrance at Kassiopi Castle, By the 1797 Treaty of Campo Formio, Corfu was ceded to the French, who occupied it for two years as the département of Corcyre, until they were expelled by a joint Russian-Ottoman squadron under Admiral Ushakov. In total more than 1800 plant species have been recorded.[20]. It began on 29 August 1537, with 25,000 soldiers from the Ottoman fleet landing and pillaging the island and taking 20,000 hostages as slaves. Other notable Venetian-era buildings include the Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù, the first Greek opera house, and Liston, a multi-level commercial and residential building, with an arched colonnade at ground level, lined with cafes and restaurants on its east side, and restaurants and other stores on its west side. From 1720, Corfu became the possessor of the first theatre in post-1452 Greece. Admire the architecture in Santorini. [88] It was one of the largest temples of its time.[90]. St George South to the west boasts the largest sandy beach on the island coupled with a selection of all-inclusive package hotels and traditional corfiot villas and flats. Corfu Beaches, Destinations, Flavors & Products, Things to do in Corfu. During this time, the local Greek language assimilated a large number of Italian and Venetian words, many of which are still common today. In Corfu was founded the first university or Greece, called the Ionian University and the first modern theater and opera of Greece. The Ionian Academy was an institution that maintained the tradition of Greek education while the rest of Greece was still under Ottoman rule. With the island's area estimated at 592.9 square kilometres (146,500 acres),[17] it runs approximately 64 km (40 mi) long, with greatest breadth at around 32 km (20 mi). Until the early 18th century, musical life took place in city and village squares, with performances of straight or musical comedies – known as Momaries or Bobaries. The name Corfù, an Italian version of the Byzantine Κορυφώ (Koryphō), meaning "city of the peaks", derives from the Byzantine Greek Κορυφαί (Koryphai) (crests or peaks), denoting the two peaks of Palaio Frourio.[7]. [citation needed]. Corfu is one of the locations in the legend of Simon and Milo, where Simon falls in love temporarily. From the twin peaks of the new site, the medieval city received its new name, Korypho (Κορυφώ, "city on the peak") or Korphoi (Κορφοί, "peaks"), whence the modern Western name of "Corfu". There are three breweries in Corfu and one bed layers factory. The approach and landing, in a northeasterly direction, afford passengers aerial views of Pontikonisi and Vlaheraina Monastery, also taking in the hills of Kanoni, as the runway employed for landing lies a few hundred metres from these local landmarks. Examples of the finds can be found in the Museum of the Palace of Mon Repos and at the Archaeological Museum of Corfu.[73]. For Corfiotes a recent example of such heroism is that of geology student Kostas Georgakis, who set himself ablaze in Genoa, Italy on 19 September 1970, in a protest against the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. Monk seals appear from time to time without breeding here any more. [16], This new alliance was one of the chief immediate causes of the Peloponnesian War, in which Corcyra was of considerable use to the Athenians as a naval station, but did not render much assistance with its fleet. [137] Corfiots, young and old, dress up in colourful costumes and follow the parade, spilling out into the area's narrow streets (kantounia) and spreading the festivities across the city,[137] dancing and socialising. The island served also as a refuge for Greek scholars, and in 1732, it became the home of the first academy of modern Greece. Its association with the worship of Apollo or Poseidon has not been established. Explore Corfu Town holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. [88] It is also considered the first building to have incorporated all of the elements of the Doric architectural style. [82], Kardaki Temple is an Archaic Doric temple in Corfu, Greece, built around 500 BC in the ancient city of Korkyra (or Corcyra), in what is known today as the location Kardaki in the hill of Analipsi in Corfu. Corfu’s highest peak is in the north of the island, cresting … It belongs to the Ionian islands group. The main islands are Othonoi, Ereikoussa and Mathraki. There are more than 2 million olive trees on the island of Corfu adding to its lushness and the food tables. The effectiveness of the powerful Venetian fortifications as well as the strength of some old Byzantine castles in Angelokastro, Kassiopi Castle, Gardiki and elsewhere, were additional factors that enabled Corfu to remain free. Under the latter, the island suffered considerably from the inroads of various adventurers.[16]. Due to the successive dominations of the Venetians, the French and the British over the centuries, the island has primarily become part of the Western rather the Levantine world. The coastline is in touch with turquoise waters and is more than 200km long. Easter in Corfu. [82] It is approximately 700 m. to the southeast of the Temple of Artemis in Corfu. The airport offers domestic flights from Olympic Airlines (OA 600, 602 and 606), and Aegean Airlines (A3 402, 404 and 406). c. 400 BCE. Of the snakes of Corfu only the nose-horned viper is potentially dangerous. When the island of Corfu is on your cruise itinerary, than you dock at the port of Kerkira.It is the capital of the island and itself is often called Corfu. Vidos Island lies at the mouth of the Port of Corfu and is most … Among the many traditional dishes you can taste when visiting the island, Pastitsada or Παστιτσάδα in Greek, is certainly the most well known. Benitses Corfu is an old traditional village and an original resort in Greece. The Corfu town is famous for its large quantity of churches as in the island there are 37 churches. [16] The period of British rule is sometimes considered a prosperous period for Corfu when we consider new roads, an improved water supply system, and the building of the first Greek university to be a sign of prosperity. The opposition of many of the Eptansians to the Union was well known, especially in Kefalonia and some Corfu villages. In 1214 it passed to the Greek despots of Epirus,[16] who gave it to Manfred of Sicily as a dowry in 1259. After the conquest of the Peloponnese in 1715, the Ottoman fleet appeared in Buthrotum opposite Corfu. It is the setting of the 1998 song Mediterranean Lady by Prozzak. It is a perfect example of ancient Venetian and Byzantine art that will be able to fascinate you with its little streets and its panoramic points. The phrase "applaudito in Corfu" (applauded in Corfu) was a measure of high accolade for an opera performed on the island. Coypus, fallow deer, Indian crested porcupines, Siberian chipmunks have been observed recently but they are escapees and only the coypu has viable population. Modern times have seen the introduction of specialist cultivation supported by the mild climate, like the kumquat and bergamot oranges, which are extensively used in making spoon sweets and liqueurs. Drake mentions Corfu in a song. From 1386 to 1797, Corfu was ruled by Venetian nobility; much of the city reflects this era when the island belonged to the Republic of Venice, with multi-storied buildings on narrow lanes. Following a counterattack by the Venetian-Corfiot forces, the Ottoman troops were forced to leave the city sailing away.[54]. '''Corfu Greece, is the most popular of the Ionian Islands. These areas were thoroughly pillaged as in past encounters. Most known apetizers in Corfu. In the city, there are thirty-seven Greek churches, the most important of which are the city's cathedral, the church dedicated to Our Lady of the Cave (η Παναγία Σπηλιώτισσα (hē Panagia Spēliōtissa)); Saint Spyridon Church, wherein lies the preserved body of the patron saint of the island; and finally the suburban church of St Jason and St Sosipater (Αγιοι Ιάσων και Σωσίπατρος), reputedly the oldest in the island,[16] and named after the two saints probably the first to preach Christianity to the Corfiots. 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 architecture of the Old Town of Corfu along with its narrow streets, the kantounia, has clear Venetian influence and is amongst the World Heritage Sites in Greece. [59], Following the Nazi invasion, the Italians capitulated, and the island came under German occupation. The inscription read:[74] .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, To the Greatest Greek from the Greatest German, The inscription was subsequently removed after World War II.[75]. They administered Corfu and the Ionian islands as a separate entity from Greece until September 1943, following Benito Mussolini's orders of fulfilling Italian Irredentism and making Corfu part of the Kingdom of Italy. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on the sandy beaches. [4] The principal city of the island (pop. According to Greek mythology, his mother Thetis was a goddess. The buses to the main places on the island run about six times a day between the city and Glyfada, Sidari, Paleokastritsa, Roda and Acharavi, Lefkimmi, Lefkimmi and Piri. The most notable of Corfu's museums and libraries are located in the city; these include:[120]. Corfu the Garden Isle, editor Frank Giles, John Murray 1994, Cathedral of St. James and St. Christopher, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Corfu, Zakynthos and Cephalonia, Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands, Second National Assembly of the Greeks at Athens, George Nugent-Grenville, 2nd Baron Nugent, persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire, Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands, Artemis temple in the ancient city of Korkyra, Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport, List of twin towns and sister cities in Greece, "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. The repulse of the Ottomans was widely celebrated in Europe, Corfu being seen as a bastion of Western civilization against the Ottoman tide. Kaiser Wilhelm II, while vacationing at his summer palace of Achilleion in Corfu and while Europe was preparing for war, was involved in excavations at the site of the ancient temple. 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