Corfu (city)

For other uses, see Corfu (disambiguation).

Corfu Κέρκυρα
Corfu, as seen from the New Fortress.
Location
Corfu
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
Location within the regional unit
Government
Country:	Greece
Region:	Ionian Islands
Regional unit:	Corfu
Municipality:	Corfu
Population statistics (as of 2001)
Municipal unit
- Population:	39,487
- Area:	41.905 km2 (16 sq mi)
- Density:	942 /km2 (2,441 /sq mi)
Other
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (min-max):	0 - 10 m ­(0 - 33 ft)
Postal:	491 xx
Telephone:	26610
Auto:	ΚΥ
Website
www.corfu.gr

Old Town of Corfu *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
View of the old town
Country	Greece
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv
Reference	978
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)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

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.^[1] 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 (pop. 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.^[2] In 2007, the old town of the city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.^[3][4][5] 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 (pop. 3,556), Potamós (2,365), Kontokáli (1,616), Alepoú (1,606), and Gouviá (952).

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.

Climate

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

"Serbian house" Serb museum

Layout

Panoramic view of the old town.

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 (it) (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.^[6]

Architecture

Map of the city, c.1700.

Typical houses of Corfu city.

Panorama of Spilias Square.

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, 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,^[4] 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 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".^[4]

Government

A street of the city.

The City Hall.

View of Heroes of Cypriot Struggle Square.

Mayors

Up until 1866, Corfu had no mayors. This list starts from 1866 and on.^[7]

• Nikolaos V. Manesis (1866–1870)
• Christodoulos M. Kiriakis (1870–1879)
• Georgios Theotokis (1879–1887)
• Michael Theotokis (1887–1895)
• Aggellos Psoroulas (1895–1899)
• Dimitrios Kollas (1899–1911)
• Ioannis Mavrogian (1914–1925)
• Spiridon Kollas (1925–1951)
• Stamatios Desyllas (1951–1955)^[8]
• Maria Desylla-Kapodistria (1956–1959), first female mayor in Greece.^[8]
• Panagiotis Zafiropoulos (1959–1964)
• Spiridon Rath (1964–1967)
• Konstantinos Alexopoulos (1974–1975)
• Spiridon Rath (1975–1978)
• Ioannis Kourkoulos (1979–1990)
• Chrisanthos Sarlis (1991–2002)
• Alexandros Mastoras (2003–2006)
• Sotirios Micallef (2007–2010)
• Ioannis Trepeklis (2011–present)

Consulates

The entrance to the "Palaia Anaktora".

Ioannis Kapodistrias' home. Nowadays hosts the Translation Department of the Ionian University.

Corfu is home to many foreign consulates.^[9]

• Austria: 3 K. Zavitsianou St. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Belgium: 44 Alexandras Av Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Cyprus: 8 Sotiros St. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Denmark: 12 Ethnikis Antistasis Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Finland: Hotel Annaliza Pirgi Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• France: 22 I. Polyla St. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Germany: 57 Guilford St. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Ireland: 20A Kapodistriou St. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Italy: 10 Alexandras Av. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Netherlands: Kapodistriou & 2 Idromenon St. Corfu 49100, Tel: :[phone]
• Norway: 7 Donzelot St. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Portugal: Hotel "Ermones Beach" Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Romania: 55 Aghiou Spiridonos St. Corfu, T.K. 49100, Tel: [phone] ^[10]
• Serbia: 19 Moustoxidou St. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Spain: 3 Sofokleus Dousmani St. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Sweden: Skaramaga Sq. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• Switzerland: Corfu Palace Hotel Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]
• United Kingdom: 2 Alexandras Av & Menekratous St. Corfu 49100, Tel: [phone]

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Greece

Corfu is twinned with:^[11][12]

• Kruševac, Serbia, since 19 October 1985)^[11]
• Paphos, Cyprus, since 5 July 1992^[11]
• Famagusta, Cyprus, since 13 August 1994^[11]
• Meissen, Germany, since 26 September 1996^[11]
• Troisdorf, Germany, since 4 October 1996^[11]
• Asha, Cyprus, since 3 May 1998^[11]
• Brindisi, Italy, since 21 May 1998^[11]
• Vathi, Samos Greece, since 29 July 1998^[11]
• Carovigno, Italy, since 7 May 2000^[11]
• Verona, Italy, since August 2000^[11]
• Koper/Capodistria, Slovenia, since 7 December 2000)^[11]
• Sarandë, Albania, since 12 July 2001)^[11]
• Tremetousia, Cyprus, since 9 December 2001^[11]
• Ioannina, Greece, since 21 December 2002^[11]
• Belgrade, Serbia, since 25 February 2010^[13]

Quarters

Paleòpolis Nèo Froùrio Paleò Froùrio-Aghios Geòrgios Faliraki Aghios Vlàsios-Old Port New Port Platytèra Sarròko-Kostèlla Menekràtous Anàlipsi Aghia Triàs Neràtsicha Anemòmylos-Aghios Iàsson Figarèto-Kardàki Stratià Kyrà Chrysikoù

Aghios Spyridon Spianàda-Listòn Aghios Antònios Aghios Iàkovos Mandràki Aghios Ioànnis Garitsa Kanòni Kanàlia Alepoù Potamòs Kontòkali Evropoùloi Gouvià Kommèno Templòni

The statue of Georgios Theotokis.

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.

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

1. ^ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)
2. ^ "Home Page". Municipality of Corfu. http://www.corfu.gr/web/guest/home. Retrieved 2010-03-23. 
3. ^ BBC news on UNESCO World Heritage list
4. ^ ^{a b c} UNESCO Advisory Body (ICOMOS) report on Corfu History retrieved 3 July 2007
5. ^ Old Town of Corfu on UNESCO website retrieved 3 July 2007
6. ^ Bank of Greece. Drachma Banknotes & Coins: 500 drachmas. – Retrieved on 27 March 2009.
7. ^ "History of City Councils from the Municipality of Corfu". Municipality of Corfu. 2005-09-20. Archived from the original on April 9, 2005. http://web.archive.org/web/20050409010616/http://www.corfu.gr/en/profil/dimhis.html. Retrieved 2007-03-30. 
8. ^ ^{a b} Municipality of Corfu from the Internet archive Quote:In the elections of 1954 Stamatios Desillas was elected Mayor for a second term and remained in office until his death, Christmas Day 1955. Soon after a bye-election took place in Corfu in which the widow of the deceased Maria Desilla - Kapodistria, was elected Mayor with 5,365 votes in a total of 10,207. Maria Desilla became Mayor of Corfu in 15 April 1956 until 9 May 1959. She was the first female Mayor in Greece.
9. ^ "Municipality of Corfu: Tourism: Consulates". Municipality of Corfu. www.corfu.gr. 2007-02-23. Archived from the original on April 8, 2005. http://web.archive.org/web/20050408185338/http://www.corfu.gr/en/menu/tourism.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-30. 
10. ^ http://www.mae.ro/romanian-missions/3356
11. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} "AllCorfu.Com: Corfu's Twin Cities". allcorfu.com. http://www.allcorfu.com/in-trivia.html. Retrieved 25 February 2010. 
12. ^ "Twinned Cities". Municipality of Corfu. www.corfu.gr. 2005-09-20. Archived from the original on April 9, 2005. http://web.archive.org/web/20050409010317/http://www.corfu.gr/en/profil/adel.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-30. 
13. ^ "Bratimljenje Beograda i Krfa". B92. http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2010&mm=02&dd=25&nav_category=12&nav_id=414000. Retrieved 2010-02-25. 

External links

• Municipal website