Corfu Old Town

Corfu Old Town

Corfu Old Town (Kerkyra) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea, Greece, a remarkably intact example of a Venetian fortified town that guarded the entrance to the Adriatic for over four centuries.

History

Corfu’s strategic position at the gateway to the Adriatic made it invaluable to Venice, which controlled the island from 1401 to 1797. The Venetians constructed an elaborate double-fortification system — the Old Fortress on a promontory to the east (originally Byzantine, rebuilt 15th century) and the New Fortress on the western hill (built 1572–1645) — that successfully repelled repeated Ottoman sieges. After Venice fell to Napoleon, Corfu passed to France, then the Septinsular Republic, then Britain (1815–1864), before unification with Greece. Each period left architectural traces. The Old Town was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007.

What to See

The Liston arcade, built by the French in 1807 and modelled on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, lines the western edge of the Spianada — the largest public square in the Balkans, still used for cricket matches introduced by the British. The Old Fortress features a British-era chapel of Saint George and commanding sea views from the lighthouse terrace. The narrow lanes of the Campiello quarter preserve Venetian-era architecture unchanged. The Church of Saint Spyridon houses the mummified remains of the island’s patron saint. The Archaeological Museum holds the remarkable Gorgon pediment (580 BC) from the Temple of Artemis.

Getting There

Corfu is served by Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport, 3 km south of Corfu Town, with direct flights from across Europe in season. Car and passenger ferries connect Corfu to Igoumenitsa (1 hour) and Patras on the Greek mainland, and to Brindisi and Bari in Italy. The Old Town is compact and best explored on foot.

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