Corfu (city)

Corfu Κέρκυρα
Corfu, as seen from the New Fortress
Flag
Corfu
Location within the regional unit
Coordinates: 39°37′N 19°55′E / 39.617°N 19.917°E / 39.617; 19.917Coordinates: 39°37′N 19°55′E / 39.617°N 19.917°E / 39.617; 19.917
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Ionian Islands
Regional unit	Corfu
Municipality	Corfu
• Municipal unit	41.905 km2 (16.180 sq mi)
Highest elevation	10 m (30 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2001)[1]
• Municipal unit	39,487
• Municipal unit density	940/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Community
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	491 xx
Area code(s)	26610
Vehicle registration	ΚΥ
Website	www.corfu.gr

Corfu (Greek: Κέρκυρα - Kérkyra) is a city and a former municipality on the island of Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Corfu, of which it is a municipal unit.^[2] It is the capital of the island and of the Corfu regional unit. The city also serves as a capital for the region of the Ionian Islands. The city (population 28,185 in 2001) is a major tourist attraction, and has played an important role since the 8th century. The city has become known as a Kastropolis (Castle City) because of its two castles.^[3] In 2007, the old town of the city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.^[4][5][6] The municipal unit of Corfu city has a land area of 41.905 km² (16.180 sq mi) and a total population of 39,487 inhabitants. Besides the city of Corfu/Kérkyra, its largest other towns are Kanáli (population 3,556), Potamós (2,365), Kontokáli (1,616), Alepoú (1,606), and Gouviá (952).

Climate

Corfu city has a Mediterranean climate. The summers are hot, dry and humid with temperatures reaching 33 °C (91 °F). The winters are mild and wet, temperatures around on or above 10 °C (50 °F).

Architecture

Map of the "Old Fortress" of Corfu, 1573.

Typical houses of Corfu city.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Old Town of Corfu
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
View of the old town
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv
Reference	978
UNESCO region	Europe
Coordinates	39°37′N 19°55′E / 39.617°N 19.917°E / 39.617; 19.917
Inscription history
Inscription	2007 (31st Session)

The old fortifications of the town, formerly so extensive as to require a force of from 10,000 to 20,000 troops to man them, were in great part thrown down by the English in the 19th century. In several parts of the town may be found houses of the Venetian time, with some traces of past splendour, but they are few compared to the British Neoclassical housing of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Palace of St. Michael and St. George, built in 1815 by Sir Thomas Maitland (1759–1824; Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands) is a large structure of white Maltese stone. Near Gasturi stands the Pompeian style Achilleion, the palace built for the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, and purchased in 1907 by the German emperor, William II.

Of the thirty-seven Greek churches the most important are the cathedral, dedicated to Our Lady of the Cave; St. Spiridon's, with the tomb of the patron saint of the island; and the suburban church of St Jason and St Sosipater, reputedly the oldest in the island. The city is the seat of a Greek and a Roman Catholic archbishop; and it possesses a gymnasium, a theatre, an agricultural and industrial society, and a library and museum preserved in the buildings formerly devoted to the university, which was founded by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford (1766–1827, himself the first chancellor in 1824) in 1823, but disestablished on the cessation of the English protectorate.

Based on the ICOMOS evaluation of the old town of Corfu,^[5] it was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The ICOMOS experts have noted that "about 70% of the pre-20th century buildings date from the British period" and that "whole blocks were destroyed" in the Old Town by the German World War II blitzes; these were "replaced by new constructions in the 1960s and 1970s". The urban fabric was classified as being predominantly of the Neoclassical period "without special architectural features for which it could be distinguished".^[5]

Layout

Annunziata tower of the city.

The town of Corfu stands on the broad part of a peninsula, whose termination in the Venetian citadel (Greek: Παλαιό Φρούριο) is cut off from it by an artificial fosse formed in a natural gully, with a salt-water ditch at the bottom, that serves also as a kind of marina known as Contra-Fossa. The old city having grown up within fortifications, where every metre of ground was precious, is a labyrinth of narrow streets paved with cobblestones, sometimes tortuous but mostly pleasant, colourful and sparkling clean. These streets are called "kantounia" (καντούνια) and the older ones sometimes follow the gentle irregularities of the ground while many of them are too narrow for vehicular traffic. There is promenade by the seashore towards the bay of Garitsa (Γαρίτσα), and also a handsome esplanade between the town and the citadel called Liston (Λιστόν) where upscale restaurants and European style bistros abound. The origin of the name Liston has several explanations: many former Venetian cities have a square of that name, coming from a Venetian word meaning evening promenade, but it can also refer to the closed-list aspect of an up-scale area reserved to the nobility registered in the Libro d'Oro.

The citadel was depicted on the reverse of the Greek 500 drachmas banknote of 1983-2001.^[9]

Panoramic view of the old town

Culture

The city of Corfu has a long tradition in the fine arts. The Philharmonic Society of Corfu is part of that tradition. The Museum of the Philharmonic Society of Corfu presents in detail the musical heritage of the island.

Sports

Corfu is the only place in Greece where cricket is popular. It was imported into the island during British rule. The Hellenic Cricket Federation is based in Corfu and it is the only Greek sport federation that is based outside Athens.^[10] The most Greek cricket clubs are based in Corfu and they star in the Greek Championship. Notable cricket clubs of Corfu are Kerkyraikos Gymnastikos Syllogos (KGS), founded in 1893, GSK Vyron, founded in 1925 and AO Phaeax founded in 1976.

In other sports, Corfu has two teams with presence in higher divisions. The football club AOK Kerkyra, founded in 1969 originally as AO Kerkyra, that plays in A Ethniki and the Water Polo club NO Kerkyra founded in 1935, with earlier presence in A1 Ethniki Polo.

Government

Spianada Square

The City Hall (former Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù).

Statue of Ioannis Kapodistrias with the Ionian Academy in the background.

View of the Palace of St. Michael and St. George with the statue of Sir Frederick Adam.

Panagia Spiliotissa Cathedral

Mayors

Up until 1866, Corfu had no mayors. This list starts from 1866 and on.^[11]

• Nikolaos V. Manesis (1866–1870)
• Christodoulos M. Kiriakis (1870–1879)
• Georgios Theotokis (1879–1885)
• Ioannis Padovas (1885-1887)^[12]
• Michael Theotokis (1887–1895)
• Angelos Psoroulas (1895–1899)
• Dimitrios Kollas (1899–1911)
• Ioannis Mavrogiannis (1914–1925)
• Spiridon Kollas (1925–1951)
• Stamatios Desyllas (1951–1955)^[13]
• Maria Desylla-Kapodistria (1956–1959), first female mayor in Greece.^[13]
• Panagiotis Zafiropoulos (1959–1964)
• Spyros Rath (1964–1967)
• Konstantinos Alexopoulos (1974–1975)
• Spyros Rath (1975–1978)
• Ioannis Kourkoulos (1979–1990)
• Chrisanthos Sarlis (1991–2002)
• Alexandros Mastoras (2003–2006)
• Sotirios Micallef (2007–2010)
• Ioannis Trepeklis (2011–2014)
• Kostas Nikolouzos (2014–)^[14]

Consulates

Corfu is home to many foreign consulates.^[15]

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Corfu is twinned with:^[17][18]

Quarters

In popular culture

Corfu plays a central role in the science-fiction novel Year Zero, by Jeff Long. The epidemic that ravages through the world's population originates at a rich archaeological artifacts collector's mansion in or around Corfu, when a 2000-year-old vial is opened, containing a lethal virus. This virus also receives the name of Corfu.

Gallery

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Notes

External links

• Municipal website
• Link to EasyBike, the bike-sharing scheme in Corfu city, a convenient and cheap way to get around.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Corfu town.

Prefectural capitals of Greece Agios Nikolaos Alexandroupoli Amfissa Argostoli Arta Athens Chalcis Chania Chios Corfu Corinth Drama Edessa Eleusis Ermoupoli Florina Grevena Heraklion Igoumenitsa Ioannina Kalamata Karditsa Karpenisi Kastoria Katerini Kavala Kilkis Komotini Kozani Lamia Larissa Lefkada Livadeia Missolonghi Mytilene Nafplion Pallini Patras Piraeus Polygyros Preveza Pyrgos Rethymno Rhodes Serres Sparta Thessaloniki Trikala Tripoli Vathy Veria Volos Xanthi Zakynthos

Capitals of regions of Greece Athens (Attica) Corfu (Ionian Islands) Heraklion (Crete) Ioannina (Epirus) Komotini (East Macedonia and Thrace) Kozani (West Macedonia) Lamia (Central Greece) Larissa (Thessaly) Mytilene (North Aegean) Patras (West Greece) Ermoupoli (South Aegean) Thessaloniki (Central Macedonia) Tripoli (Peloponnese)

Landmarks of Corfu Palaces and castles Achilleion Angelokastro Gardiki Castle Kassiopi Castle Mon Repos New Fortress Old Fortress Palace of St. Michael and St. George Churches Saint Spyridon Church Museums Archaeological Museum of Corfu Banknote Museum Byzantine Museum of Antivouniotissa Other Ionian Academy Municipal Theatre of Corfu (destroyed) Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù Old Town of Corfu Palaiokastritsa Spianada Square Temple of Artemis Venetian arsenal, Gouvia

World Heritage Sites in Greece North Aigai Mount Athos Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki City Walls Rotunda Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of Saint Demetrios Latomou Monastery Church of Hagia Sophia Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of Saint Panteleimon Church of the Holy Apostles Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos Church of Saint Catherine Church of the Saviour Vlatades Monastery Church of Prophet Elijah Byzantine Bath Central Delphi Epidaurus Hosios Loukas Meteora Mycenae and Tiryns Mystras Old Town of Corfu Olympia Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae Attica Acropolis of Athens Daphni Monastery Aegean Islands Delos Medieval city of Rhodes Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse Nea Moni of Chios Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos