The History of Corfu
The history of Corfu
(Kerkyra) is long and turbulent, as many nations wanted to conquer the island.
Their influence is still perceptible in each and every part of modern Corfu,
from its architecture to its monuments, to the resident’s temperament and the
local cuisine.
Mythical Corfu
Corfu’s ancient time
inhabitants were probably descendants of the Phaecians, Nausicaa and King
Alcinous. The island has been inhabited since the Stone Age. It was originally
occupied by the Eretrians and then by the Corinthians, who named the island
Corcyra, after the daughter of the river god Asopus.
Ancient Times
During the
Corinthian colonization, Corfu became a big commercial, naval and artistic
force of the ancient world. In 585 BC the island regained its independence. It
contributed with 60 triremes to the Persian War battles, while later, during
the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) it fought for Athenian interests, which led
to Corfu’s power decline. In order to protect itself from pirates, Corfu
accepted to be dominated by Rome, a domination that lasted up to 337 AD. The
island converted to Christianity during the fist century AD.
Medieval Era
With the division of
the Roman Empire, Corfu united in 395 AD with the East Roman Empire. During the
Medieval Age, Corfu was exposed to Huns, Vandals, Goths and Arabs raids. Those
raids resulted to the devastation of the island, forcing Corfiots to seek
safety in an area between two peaks (that is how "Kerkyra” became “Corfu”,
as “Coryfae” means peak in Greek). Later, the island was occupied by the
Normans and was eventually liberated by the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I
Comnenus.
The First Era of Venetian Rule – The Despot of Epirus – The Rule of the
Anjou
In 1204 the Venetians
took possession of Corfu after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire by the
Crusaders of the 4
th Crusade, but in 1214 the island returned into
the hands of Michael I Comnenus Ducas, Despot of Epirus, who restored Corfu’s
inhabitants’ old privileges and reinforced the island’s fortifications until
1258-1259 when the island was ceded by Michael II Comnenus Ducas to his
son-in-law Manfred as a dowry. The battle of Benevento and the Treaty of
Viterbo led to the transfer of the island’s sovereignty to the Angevin or Anjou
House for the next 120 years. Charles of Anjou had anti-orthodox feelings and
replaced the Orthodox churches with Catholic ones. More and more Corfu
inhabitants were seeking protection between the two peaks. It was during this
time that the Old Fortress was constructed.
The Second Era of Venetian Rule Corfu once more
sought, in the second half of the 14th century, the protection of Venice, which
bought the island from Naples and assumed to protect it for the next 412 years.
The Venetian rule was carried out by members of a council that served for a
short period of time and that were appointed by Venice. During this period the
fortifications were further reinforced. In 1537 Turkish forces besieged the
island, destroying many acres of cultivated land and killing at least 20,000
Corfiots. Despite that, the island was not conquered due to its great defence.
The New Fortress was
constructed on the hill of St. Mark from 1576 to 1645 and had some of the most
advanced and powerful defensive constructions of the time. The fortifications
were reinforced again by the building of a second wall in the 17th century. The
Turkish forces tried to invade again the island of Corfu, but were repelled by
the Venetians.
The First French Rule
In 1797, Napoleon
Bonaparte took over the administration of Corfu as well as the other Ionian
Islands’ and brought along the ideas of the French Revolution. A municipal
council was instituted, headed by Spyridon Theotokis, a municipal library was
created, the police force, the judicial and the educational system were
reorganized and improved, and the first Greek printing house was established.
The Russian Rule The island came
under the control of the Russian Admiral Ushakov in 1799, while in 1800 was
implemented the Septinsular Republic Constitution. Corfu became the first Greek
State to be recognized as a semi-autonomous republic since 1453. The Orthodox
Bishop of Corfu was also reinstated.
The Second French Rule
In 1807, with the
Treaty of Tilsit, the Heptanese were ceded to Napoleon again, who, in order
counteract a possible British attack, further reinforced the fortifications of
the island. The French culture begins to have an impact on Corfu’s architecture
and appearance. Trees are planted on Spianada Square and on the Liston
Promenade to resemble the Rue de Rivoli in Paris. The French introduced the
vaccination of citizens, imported the potatoes, founded the School of Fine Arts
and, mainly, founded the Ionian Academy, the first university of Modern Greece.
The British Rule
In 1814 the French
surrender Corfu to the British. According to the Treaty of Paris, the Ionian
Islands are recognized as an independent state under the protection of Great
Britain. During the British administration, Corfu’s infrastructure was
improved, the Greek language was established as the official language of the
island, the Constitution was amended to include freedom of press and various
cultural and financial societies were founded.
The Unification of Corfu with Greece - Modern Day Corfu
Eventually, Corfu
was united with Greece on May 21st, 1864 by a decision of the Ionian Parliament
and its ratification by the British Government.
The soldiers of
Corfu participated in the Balkan Wars, as well as in WWI and WWII. In September
1943, the Nazis bombarded Corfu, causing considerable damage to the island. The
Nazi occupation was terminated on October 9th, 1944.
Since then, Corfu
has worked hard to develop its natural resources and to promote tourism, thus
becoming one of Greece's most prosperous islands and a most popular tourist
destination.
Corfu | Customs, Tradition, Festival, Fairs

Tradition is a very
important element of Corfu's culture. Naturally, the island has been influenced
by the Greek, the Venetian, the French and the British culture, making Corfu’s
customs unique.
Carnival
During carnival
time, Corfu “dresses up”. The celebrations in the island are spectacular, as
they fuse both the Ancient Greek pagan culture and worship of the god Dionysus,
and the Venetian carnival spirit. It is an endless celebration full of music,
costumes and laughter!
Easter in Corfu

Easter in Corfu is a
very important and special event, not only because of its religious meaning,
but also because it is a time when both the Orthodox and Catholic islanders
celebrate together.
On Good Friday takes
place the Epitaphios Procession (re-enactment of the burial of Christ). In the
evening, there is a procession of the churches’ catafalques, as philharmonics
and choirs, along with believers with candles in their hands follow. Another
custom of Corfiot Easter takes place in the morning of Holy Saturday, when
residents throw pots from their home windows.
First is held the
Catholic Church’s service followed by the Greek Orthodox service and the
Resurrection of Christ is celebrated. The service is held in Spianada Square.
When the bells chime, a celebration begins with fireworks, orchestral music and
singing. Local Easter dishes are served to the inhabitants, such as red eggs,
fogatsa, tsilichourda and colombinas, as well as wine. In the morning of Easter
Sunday, the churches take the icon of the Resurrection through the streets.
Litanies
The inhabitants of
Corfu have great religious faith and every year the churches hold litanies in
honour of the Saints. The most significant is the litany of Saint Spyridon, the
patron saint of the island.
Some others are the
Litany on Palm Sunday, the Protokyriako Litany (held on the last Sunday of
November), Saint Spyridon's Litany on Holy Saturday and the Litany of
SantaTheodora on Orthodox Sunday.
Festivals and Fairs
Throughout the year,
fairs and festivals are held in the villages and towns of Corfu. During these
celebrations, residents and visitors have the opportunity to see traditional
costumes, to enjoy traditional dances and music, and to taste local delicacies.
Gastronomy

Corfu’s cuisine is a
mixture of Greek and Western tastes, with elements of Mediterranean cuisine
including many spices.
Some of the most
popular dishes and sweets of Corfu are:
• the
“pastitsada”(beef or cock with red sauce and pasta)
• the “sofrito”
(beef strips with a white wine and garlic sauce)
• the “savoro” (fish
with a white vinegar, garlic and spices sauce)
• the “bourdetto”
(fish with a spicy red sauce)
• the egg-lemon soup
(served on religious holidays)
• the stuffed hen
(New Year's day traditional dish)
• the “tsilichourda”
(served on Easter)
• the local sausages
and salami
• the kumquat fruit (made into spoon sweets and beverages)
• the “freskamenta”
fruit (a prickly pear)
• the “mandoles”
(roasted and caramelized almonds)
• the “mandolato”
(nougat made of sesame, almonds, honey, sugar and rosewater)
• the “colombina”
(Corfu Christmas cake)
• the “tsitsibira”
(ginger beer, a soda with lemon, ginger and raisin syrup)
Products

Corfu is famous for
its lovely ceramics, handicrafts, weavings and woodcarvings as well as its
sweets such as mandoles, mandolato and kumquat spoon sweets. Some areas of
Corfu produce delicious honey, wine and ouzo.