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Corfu Archaelogical Museum :

Address : Armeni Vraila 1 Zip. 49100 Corfu Tel. 26610 30680 & 26610 43452

The Archaeological Museum was built between 1962 - 1965, on a site that was donated
by the Municipality of Corfou, and was inaugurated in 1967.
The main purpose of its construction was the exhibition of the huge Gorgon pediment of the Artemis temple, excavated in Paleopolis in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1994 two more halls were added to the museum, where the new acquisitions from the resent excavations of the old town and the Garitsa cemetery were exhibited. The exhibits came from:
•An old collection of unknown origin.
•The excavations of the ancient town of Corfou.
•The excavations of the ancient town of Cassiopi in northern Corfou.
•The excavations of Thesprotia on the opposite coast of Epirus. The collections are comprised of:: Bronze statures from the Archaic to the Roman era. Funeral offerings from the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic eras, from the cemeteries of Garitsa and Almyros, as well as a rich collection of ancient coins.
Findings from the Prehistoric era and findings from the 7th and 6th century B.C. with the exceptional Menecrates lion, clay pottery and terracotta statuettes from the shrines of Corfu and the impressive Gorgon-Medusa pediment from the great temple of Artemis, made in 585 B.C., excavated in 1911 near the monastery of Aghioi Theodoroi, the oldest, so far, stone-pediment of an ancient Greek temple. In other halls of the Museum there is another impressive limestone pediment (500 B.C.) from a Dionysos temple at Figaretto, 13 identical terracotta statutes of Artemis, exhibits from the 4th century B.C. to the Roman period, and the marble heads of the poet Menander and historian Thucydides. Finally there are exhibits from Paleopoli and Cassiopi, like:
bronze surgical tools, clay oil-lamps and bone-tools of everyday use.

Corfou's Patron Saint Agios Spyridon :

The Patron Saint Agios Spyridon Although disciples of St Paul were already teaching the principles of Christianity on the island in the 1st century, its scattered inhabitants living mainly in the countryside did not become Christian until four of five centuries later. They led difficult lives that left little room for conversion to Christianity.
Their unprotected existence outside the fortified town meant they were subjected to repeated attacks by marauding pirates and other invaders, and they felt alone and helpless. When they heard about the miracles performed on the island by St Spyridon, they would go on pilgrimages to the Town to make solemn dedications and offerings to the saint. Only one force stood above all others, a force which represented their own restricted powers, a force that knew and understood them and could therefore defend and protect them: their Saint. Born in Cyprus, St Spyridon was the son of a poor family who was eventually ordained as Bishop of Trimythous.
He lived and died in Cyprus, performing miracles all his life. When the Saracens invaded the island, the Cypriots opened his grave in order to move his bones to Constantinople; they found his body was still intact, while a scent of basil emanated from the tomb. After the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Corfiot priest Georgios Kalohairetis took Spyridon?s remains to Corfou, bequeathing them to his children. Having been part of the dowry of his grand-daughter Asemina, they eventually passed into the possession of the Voulgaris family who installed them in their private chapel.
The relics were transferred to their present resting-place in 1590 when the original church in Sarocco was demolished to build the fortifications of the town. The presence on Corfou of St Spyridon is relics is associated with the island's deliverance from various disasters.
These miracles are celebrated by four annual processions along specific routes through the Old Town:
• The first procession: takes place on Palm Sunday, the day when Corfou was rescued from the plague in 1630. Starting at 11 a.m., the Saint's relics are paraded through the streets, escorted by all the island's philharmonic orchestras and following the line of the old town walls from where the Saint drove out the disease
•The second procession: (the oldest) , which was established in 1550 when the Saint saved the island from famine, takes place at 9 a.m. on Holy Saturday, at the same time as the procession of the Epitaphios from the Church of St Spyridon, a custom which began during the years of Venetian rule when for reasons of security the Epitaphios procession was forbidden but the St Spyridon procession was permitted. The philharmonic orchestras play the Cande Lacrime by Michelli, Faccio Hamlet and the Funeral March from Beethoven, Eroica Symphony
•The third procession : takes place on the first Sunday in November and marks the town?s second deliverance from the plague in 1673.
•The fourth procession: is on 11th August in commemoration of the town?s liberation from the Turks in 1716, after a month-long siege.

Corfou Typography :

Typography There is a special interest in the Corfiot typography and the related activities, considering the time and the way of their introduction in the Ionian Islands. Although the European typography, since its firsts steps, produced many Greek books for the European humanists of the time, and in Venice, the sovereign of the Ionian Sea, the art of typography was greatly developed and produced many Greek books for the Greek audience of the time, yet there was no printing press established in the Ionian Islands during the Venetian rule. In 1797 General Bonaparte abolished the Venetian Republic and his soldiers occupied Corfou and the rest of the Ionian Islands.
From the first day of their arrival, the high cultural level of the local population expressed the demand for the establishment of a printing press in Corfou. And the French, who knew the power of typography as a mean for the spreading of the revolutionary ideas, the development of education and the proper functioning of the public services, satisfied the demand of the Corfiots, so that in the spring 1798, under the supervision of the learned Pari, the first printing press on Greek soil was set up in the confiscated catholic convent of St. Francisco and was named
"Ethikon Typographion" or "Tou Genous Typographio".
The first document was produced in May 1798 and the official opening was celebrated on June 15th of the same year, while the operation was assigned to P. Kappadokas. This "gift" of the French Democrats, with many variabilities in the activities, with consecutive efforts for improvements, with changes of the personnel, the equipments and the rules of operation, was meant to be an extremely long-lived printing unit, which until the end of the British rule (1864), worked not only as the official typography of the Ionian State, but it was also employed by the privet sector because for a very long time it was the only printing press of the Ionian islands. So from the very beginning of its activities, in the "Ethnikon Typographion", besides the French government's documents, the most important revolutionary speeches were printed, which were delivered in the club "Patriotiki Eteria" as well as the Greek revolutionary pamphlets: "Thourios" by Rigas Phereos and "Hymnos to Bonaparte" by Christophoros Perrevos.
On 11th August 1798 the french citizen Jouenne was appointed director of the printing press, but after the departure of the French army, the administration was assigned to Zacharias Charamis and after his death (1801) to his colleague Dionisios Sarantopoulos, with a ten-year contract, who enriched the typographical types and the decorative elements with a new collection made in Venice.
The first page of "Gazetta Urbana" (1803)In the State's press, which worked under a special regulation from 22nd August 1803, according to article 60 of the 1803 Septinsular Constitution, besides the official proclamations and the State's rules and announcements, several newspapers and magazines were printed. The "Gazetta Urbana" (1802-5) issued by Sarantopoulos, the "Monitore Settinsulare" (1803-5), the "Folio Estemporaneo" (1805) and the "Mercurio Letterario" (1805-7) issued by Emmanuel Theotokis under the pen-name Filergo Feace. In 1809 the printing press was renovated under the instructions of the french imperial commissioner, Donzelot, and published the newspaper "Monitore Ionio", while in 1814, after the submission of Corfou to the British army, it was amalgamated with the british press which worked in Zante since 1810.
Thus, a big governmental press was created which could meet the demands of the Ionian State. It was there that the bilingual (Italian-Greek) governmental "Newspaper of the United States of the Ionian Islands" was first printed, which in 1843 became trilingual with the addition of the English language.
MAGAZINES in Corfou
The only magazines which were printed by the State's press were the literary "Ionian Anthology" and the miscellany "Tetraphardinios Apothiki" during Lord Nuggent's term in office (1835). Later, a few other magazines were printed like, "Phoenix" (1853), "Eranistis" and "Eosphoros" (1858). Much later in time (1915) the magazine "Corfiot Anthology" was published by Constantinos Theotokis and Irene Dendrinou, which expressed the culture of the Heptanesian Literary School. In 1945 the short-lived "Philologika Nea" was published by Constantinos Daphnis and in 1948 "Prosperos" was issued, while from 1980 until today the magazine "Porphiras" is published with great success and is the longest-lived magazine of Corfu.
NEWSPAPERS in Corfou
After the establishment of the liberty of the press with an act of the Ionian Parliament in 1848, many books, periodicals and newspapers were issued. The social, political and very intensely the cultural life of the island was thereof reflected in the history of the Corfiot press The newspapers immediately covered all the Seven Islands and especially Corfou. Most newspapers were weekly issued with rich articles, with much information from Greece and abroad and with rich literary contents.
The title on the front page "Newspaper Political and Literary" confirmed the literary aims. Most political newspapers were in the service of the various political parties. In January 1849 the professor of literature of the Ionian Academy, Petros Vrailas Armenis established the newspaper "Patris" which was printed bilingual Greek and French in the printing press "Ermis".
The newspaper expressed the ideology of the Reformers Party and many personalities contributed in that newspaper like the poet Andreas Calvos, the learned Spyridon Zambelis, the lawyer Napoleon Zambelis and the scholar Ioannis Petritsopoulos.
During the next years, in privet printing presses, the A. Ciapinis newspaper "Timoni" (1849) and "Philos tou Laou" were printed, which represented the Loyalist Party, and also the newspaper "Eptanisos" (1850), the reformative "Ermis" (1851), "Philalithis" (1851) which was issued by Andreas Moustoxides in the printing press "Scheria" and represented the Reformative ideology, also the reformative "Nea Epochi" (1858), which later turned radical by Stephanos Padovas, "Paratiritis" (1858) and after the Union with Greece "Peripectis" (1869), "Rigas Phereos" (1869), the militant "Kodon" (1870) issued by Iacovos Polylas, "Aggeliophoros" (1871), "Kapodistrias" (1872), "Enosis" (1880), "Kentri", "Phoni" and many others.
By that time the Athenian press started to gain supremacy and elbowed the local press, which was tormented by financial difficulties and the press quality was degraded. Meanwhile we must mention some of the best Corfiot newspapers of the 20th century, "Dimocratia", "Dinamis", "Alithia", "Eleutheria", "Kerkyra", "Ephimeris ton Eidiseon" and lately "Kerkyraika Nea".

Corfou music tradition :

Homer tells us about the great Corfiot musician, the blind gleeman Demodokos, who made Odysseus to weep with his song in the court of king Alcinous. Since the time of the bards though, that sung the deeds of the mythical heroes in the palaces of the kings, until the 19th century Corfou had traveled a long way for the biggest part of which very little is known.
During the 6th century B.C. Cofrou experienced a high economic growth and as a consequence a favorable climate was created for the cultivation of the arts and the cultural maters. Professor Theodore Pappas informs us that even during the 2nd century B.C., with the aid of sponsors, theatrical and musical performances were held preserving
a longstanding tradition. Later, during the Byzantine era, that ancient musical tradition is interrupted. The rise of the Christendom meant that anything connected with the ancient Greek religion had to be abandoned. The Byzantine theocracy and the Eastern Church applied a relentless persecution of the instrumental music with the result the evanescence of the polyphonic music and the growth of the eastern monophonic music. Because of this preference
it is fully understood the furore of St. John Chrysostom against the instrumental music, something that has stamped the Greek music until today. After 1204 the Eastern influence on Corfou gradually disappears. During the whole of the Foreign Occupation until the Union with Greece, the Western Lord's influence on the local artistic production will increase. During that era the Corfiot musical tradition will fuse with that of the refugees from the Greek mainland, the settlers from the southern parts of Italy, the Western polyphony and later with Belcanto.
The consequence of this was the development not only of the popular song and of the 'cantada' (always with a strong Western influence), but mainly the cultivation of a musical life that was the spark and the force behind the development of the Eptanisian Music. The ecclesiastic music could not escape that influence, but the Greek Orthodox Ecclesiastic Dogma remained untouched. During the Renaissance period Corfou was on the route from Venice to Crete and undoubtedly was informed about the new literary and musical trends, but remained in the shadow of the great creators of that time: Cornaro, Theotokopoulos and Leondaritis. When in 1669 the Cretans found refuge in the Venetian occupied Corfu and the rest
of the Seven Islands, they brought with them their original musical tradition. Singers, musicians and chanters influence the musical tradition not only of the urban but also of the rural areas. The psalmody of the Seven Islands with byzantine melodies and triphonic improvised accompaniment until today is called 'Cretan melody'. The construction of San Giacomo Theater in 1690 was decisive for the musical matters and the further development of the westernized musical tradition of Corfou. A lodge for the Nobles at first, transformed into a theater in 1720, starts to accommodate opera performances in 1733 and becomes the oldest and most important musical cradle of the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean, the fruits of which Corfou enjoys until today. The great Eptanisian Musical School with composers like Mantzaros, Xyndas, Liberalis, Lambelet and Samaras were the peaks of this longstanding musical tradition during the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Corfou and the rest of the Seven Islands did not only offer the first Greek composers but the first music teachers and the first professional musicians. In that time the Corfiots became opera-mad and obtained
a high standard artistic criterion. New buildings were constructed (Municipal Theatre) to house the constantly increasing public audience.
Today the Philharmonics of Corfou, that were established from 1840 onwards, are worthy holdovers of the local musical tradition. The numerous musical bodies that exist today on the island: Philharmonics, Choirs, Odeums, Municipal Symphonic Orchestra, and Chamber Music keep unbroken the ties with the musical tradition of the past.
The creation in the last decade of the Musical High School and Lyceum, and the Musical Department in the Ionian University came as an aid to the preservation of the Corfiot musical tradition, which constantly gives artists and performers to the rest of Greece. The creation of several Cultural Bodies and Unions, of privet initiative in their majority,
offer a constructive support for the present and prepare an optimistic future for the Corfiot musical tradition

Local Corfou clothing :

Like most traditional costumes, the Corfiot mode of dress was influenced by social necessities and reflects the life-style of the various social groups on the island. The costumes shown in collections or illustrations are the latest examples as they evolved between the 17th and the mid 20th centuries, after which the clothing industry engaged in the mass production of European-style dress took over. The details of the stitching reflect the conditions that produced these garments: male or female dress, peasants or town-dwellers, women’s position in society, the family’s social or economic status, or differing geographic features.

Women Clothing in Corfou
Women’s clothing can be divided into three categories:
•everyday garments,
•Sunday wear and,
•bridal apparel, but there are also distinctions between the clothes worn by young girls, married women and widows The garments were usually sewn and embroidered at home by the wearers and other female members of the family. The outfits worn by women on special occasions are extremely complex and very colourful; they include many different features according to the area of provenance, much extravagant embroidery, ornate headscarves and large items of valuable jewellery.
(1) Boustina (2) Peseli (3) Head-dresses Interesting items of Corfiot women’s dress
•Boustina : A piece of cloth of fine linen, cotton or silk covering the breast over the shirt and decorated with embroidery, on which her wedding jewellery was displayed.
•Peseli : The “showpiece” of the wedding outfit, this was traditionally a present from the groom to his bride. Made of brightly-coloured velvet elaborately embroidered with gold thread, it would be worn on special occasions for the rest of her life.
•Head-dresses : The crowning glory of a Corfiot woman’s attire, the head-dress was a combination of hair-style, kerchief and various fastenings and decorations. According to the style of her head-dress, it was possible to identify the area she came from, her family status and whether she was single, married or widowed.
•Jewellery : Bridal outfits and those worn on special occasions were accompanied by many pieces of valuable jewellery. There were names for 15 different kinds of ear-ring alone! Apart from the ear-lobes, they were also used as necklaces and amulets to decorate the neck area, as breast-pins, spiles (brooches) and sfigles (pins with coloured heads) on the bosom, on buckles at the waist, as bratsouleta (bracelets) or okanes (circular gold bands) on the wrists, and rings. Husbands and relatives would sometimes purchase these items from abroad, but usually they were made by eminent Corfiot craftsmen themselves. When a woman was widowed, she would put away
her ornaments and wear a black headscarf or a black ribbon over her white head-dress; if the husband had died young, some red ribbons from her head-dress were placed inside the coffin.

Men’s clothing in Corfou
Men's costumes in the villages and rural areas were fairly standard, with a rough and sombre appearance.
(1) Tritsa (2) Yeleko (3) Zonari (4) Vraka
•On their heads they wore a red tasseled Tunisian fez (fessi) or a broad-rimmed straw hat known as a tritsa.
•A woollen vest or magia was worn next to the skin to keep out the cold in winter and to absorb sweat in summer.
•This was topped by a white cotton shirt open to mid-chest, with a straight collar that was fastened with a gold “button” on special occasions
•On the lower body they wore the vraka (baggy breeches reaching the mid-calf), which were usually blue and made of either linen or cotton.
•Round the waist was worn a belt of coloured wool or silk known as the zonari, which was fringed for special occasions when a long dagger would also be tucked inside it.
•On top of all this was a waistcoat (yeleko) of either black or dark-coloured felt, with silver buttons and chains arranged criss-cross fashion and gold embroidery for special occasions. In winter a black or blue felt jacket (sakaki) or a cape made of woven goat’s hair would be worn.
•They wore woven white stockings known as skaltsounia; these were made of wool in winter, cotton in summer, and came up to the knee where they were fastened with two red ribbons and a clasp.
•On their feet they wore pointed tsarouhia. The bourgeoisie and merchants of Corfou adopted the Venetian style of dress and could thus be easily distinguished from the rural population. The nobility wore wigs and were accompanied by their servants who carried around their insignia. The bourgeoisie more or less copied the nobility. However, at formal appearances before the Venetian authorities, men’s costumes were black and austere as a reminder that they were patricians and not showy knights.

Architecture in Corfou island :

Architecture Due to its geographical position, the island of Corfou became a powerful fortress and transit port during the ancient years, adapting itself every time to the predominant conditions. This adaptation constitutes
a continuous dialogue between East and West, presenting at the same time a diachronic cultural value for the history of architecture and town-planning. The informations that we have about the architecture of ancient
Corfou are limited due to the distractions that the city suffered. According to the sources and up to today's excavational data, at the beginning, the ancient city, was unwalled and later, at the classical age, walled itself at its north edge. Outside the city-walls were the city's cemeteries and inside the city were two ports and to the south the urban structure. The city had a water supply system and an extensive drainage system, made out
of built tubes. At the center of the city was the Agora with impressive public buildings, loggias, and temples,
a valanion (thermae) and next to the agora were the villas of the rich corfiots. In a little distance from the Agora was one most important temples of the ancient times in Greece, the pseudodipteros doric temple of Artemis, the decoration of which, is believed to be the work of local artificers. Except those in the Agora, a few other temples have been excavated in different parts of the city, the population of which, at its highest level, counted about 60,000 inhabitants. There were ceramic and other workshops and though not yet discovered, there sould be theatre and stadium, if we judge from the rich religious and athletic activity of the ancient corfiots.
The informations that we have about the architecture of ancient Corfou are limited due to the distractions that the city suffered. According to the sources and up to today's excavational data, at the beginning, the ancient city, was unwalled and later, at the classical age, walled itself at its north edge. Outside the city-walls were the city's cemeteries and inside the city were two ports and to the south the urban structure. The city had a water supply system and an extensive drainage system, made out of built tubes. At the center of the city was the Agora with impressive public buildings, loggias, and temples, a valanion (thermae) and next to the agora were the villas of the rich corfiots. In a little distance from the Agora was one most important temples of the ancient times in Greece, the pseudodipteros doric temple of Artemis, the decoration of which, is believed to be the work of local artificers. Except those in the Agora, a few other temples have been excavated in different parts of the city,
the population of which, at its highest level, counted about 60,000 inhabitants. There were ceramic and other workshops and though not yet discovered, there sould be theatre and stadium, if we judge from the rich religious and athletic activity of the ancient corfiots. During the 6th and 7th centuries, after the destruction of the ancient city, the inhabitants sought refuge to the north, in between the two tops of the little peninsula.
The result was being a settlement that gradually became the fortified city-castle of the Mid-byzantine period.
It was mentioned that during the 10th century, the city possessed big churches, surrounded by elaborate walls. The fortification works carried on during the late middle ages and the defenses were reinforced by the then possessors of the island, making Corfou impregnable fortress, that was coveted by conquerors from East and West. The second coming of the Venetian rule in Corfou in 1386, marks the beginning of extensive interventions
in the urban structure of the city and in the fortification works. As a result, all the medieval architectural monuments were demolished due to a new defense theory that was becoming increasingly imperative, especially after the adoption of gunpowder arms on the offensive and defensive wars. The frequent wars between Venice and Turkey rose Corfou island to the strategic spot that the administration was based and the war and commercial fleet was anchored, in new ports made for that purpose. The continuous Turkish threat, that some times was catastrophic (1537), obliges Venice to apply an ambitious and continually updated defensive plan for the salvation of the island. For the defensive planning of Corfou some of the best military architects of that age, under the service of Venice, were employed, namely: Francesco de Brendolis, Gacopo Coltrino, Giovanni Giocondo, Lattanzio Bonghi, Agostino da Castello, Michele Sanmicheli, Ferrante Vitelli, Filippo Verneda. The wall-surrounding of 'borgo' (suburb - emporio), which was finished in 1588 with the most perfect fortification works of the age, imposes, from that time onwards, the perpendicular expansion of the city, where, for the first time in a Greek city, multistoried buildings were constructed and the custom of horizontal ownership appeared. The city was decorated with churches, squares, city-gates, public buildings, other utilities such as cisterns, and was endowed with a sewage system like those of other Italian cities of the Renaissance. Hospital, quarantine-house (Lazareto) and theatre were erected and various clubs were organized together with anything that was essential to support a vivid social life. The end of the Venetian rule finds Corfou in the dunes of international turbulence and her architectural physiognomy adapts itself to the new philosophy. Additional perpendicular expansion is tried
and new constructions were made such as the Old Palace, Mon Repos, Liston, the prison etc. Some of the old fortifications were either retrofitted or demolished for the construction of new public roads entering the city.
On the other hand a few new fortification works appeared in advanced strategic spots (peripheral redoubts, Fort George in the island of Vido). View of Corfou city during the period of Venetian rule The central government, with the mobilization of the Royal Engineers corps, undertook the planning and the construction of important public works, roads, hospital and the work of greatest importance: the water supply of the city. During the 19th century Corfou appears as a city with homogenous architectural physiognomy and to achieve that look she had the decisive contribution of the Building Directive enforced in 1827. This favored not so much the erection of new buildings as the expansions, additions and mainly the interventions on the facades of the already existing houses. After the Union with Greece (1864), Corfou is architecturally enriched with the construction of new impressive buildings (Municipal Theatre, "Phoenix" theatre, hotel Bella Venezia), unfortunately, without avoiding the distraction of many of her architectural jewels, either because of the Second World War bombardments,
or due to the thoughtlessness of some of her inhabitants (Porta Reala). During this period the industrialization
of Corfou begins with the construction of the factories of Aspioti, Margariti, Desylla. At the same time the city is lighten up first with gas and later with electricity. But, Corfou is already considered as a highly qualified tourist destination. This preference is expressed in the writings of many travelers through the ages and since the end
of the 19th century, Corfou is the place of recreation of many of the royalty of that time. The Empress of Austria, Sissy, built her famous Achillion palace in Corfou and many times the Princes of Wales visited the palace of Mon Peros. The architectural figure of Corfou, after the ordeal of the Second World War, changes to serve the requirements of this new income source, tourism. Luxurious and other hotels are built, as well as many restaurants and other recreation centers while public and privet baths and beaches are organized. On the background, the deindustrialization of Corfou takes place gradually but steadily. View of Corfou city during the period of British rule Corfou, the most important Eptanisian center, preserves today, especially the Old-Town,
her architectural figure at a satisfactory level. It was mainly developed during the Venetian occupation
and at a time that the metropolis was at the pinnacle. Mixture of Venetian art and Byzantine tradition, the monuments of Corfou are considered the successful synaeresis of the different elements of Greek and Western architecture, constructed according to the local Greek apprehension in Western morphology, from local craftsmen in order to serve the local needs. That's why the significance of Corfou and her contribution to the history
of architecture is valuable and unique.

Corfou Carnival :

Carnival
The roots of the Corfiot Carnival are lost in the Dionysiac worship of ancient Greece. The Carnival of Corfou was revived during the time of the Venetian occupation of the island and through a course of more than 450 years, reaches our times, regenerated each year The Latin word CARNEVALE is probably derived from the Latin phrase carnem levare = to disappear the meat, consequently abstain from meat.

Carnival in the City

In the city of Corfou the festivities of the carnival were influenced by the arrival of the Venetians. The Venetians, with the numerous personnel that was living in the city (military and administrative), brought their own carnival customs (which had their roots in the Roman Saturnalia), and their own way of entertainment, which very soon grafted the local tradition and created the Corfiot Carnival with a tradition of more than 450 years. The rulers and noblemen, of foreign or local origin, were participating at the festivities, which at the beginning consisted of indoor happenings. In several houses balls were held with masks and european dresses, with a nostalgia for the cosmopolitan atmosphere and the splendidness of the Metropolis. Gradually, imitating the Venetian way of life, club for the Nobles was organized in Corfou, together with card-playing casinos and a theater, where the comedies of the Venetian aristocrat Carlo Goldoni were performed and soon were assimilated, became tradition and were loved by the Corfiots. Intense card playing was taking place during the carnival period. Four casinos existed in the city, the casino for the Venetian Noblemen, that for the Corfiot Noblemen, the one for the army-officers and the high-rank clerks and the casino for the officers of the navy. The casinos had rooms for conversation and tables for card-playing -they were playing tresette, briscola, paseta and pharaoh. In one of these the famous Giacomo Casanova participated, "in Corfu? I was spending all my time in the coffee-shop playing rabidly pharaoh", he wrote. Polychromy, cheerfulness, 'brio', high-spirit and most of all public participation were the elements that characterized the Carnival of Corfou, which, in combination with the masked-balls and the revel atmosphere in the streets and the alleyways of the city, made Corfu look like Venice, where the revel and the amusement lasted for months and had their own particular color. The growth of the opera in Corfu had its contribution to the Corfiot Carnival. The transformation of the club of the Nobles to theater in 1720 by the name "Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo" and the calling of Italian groups that performed comedies, 'opera buffa' but also prose, lasted the whole of the winter period until the last Sunday of the Carnival. This tradition continued in the 20th century, after the construction of the Municipal Theater. Masked balls (named Cavalchine) were held in the Theater during the Carnival period. At the beginning the tickets were expensive in order to provide a financial support to the actors, but this was abolished by the last Proveditor Carolo Aurelio Widman, so that everybody could afford to go. Ladies with fancy outfits and well-dressed masquerades attended the balls from the rented theater boxes, exchanging glances, colorful serpentines and love letters, while during the intervals they were exchanging visits. Many balls were held and the last one could not go further than the 12:00 at mid-night of the last Sunday, when all the masks were dropped. The archives tell as about six-day balls, two nights with signatures (veglione) and four common nights with masks (cavalchine). The balls were a way of life and never stopped, not even during the Russo-Turkish siege (November 1798-February 1799). Later the after-midnight dances were transferred to several privet ballrooms in the city. In large dancing-floors special teacher were teaching 'Cuadrilias' and 'lancie', which were the highlight of the night. Except that in the Municipal Theater the dances of the 'Old Philharmonic', of 'Gymnastiriou' and that of 'Rolina', have remained unforgettable ever since. The Nobles and the well-off were masqueraded in dominos and harlequins, wearing masks (mouzeta) and constructing kiosks in Spianada Sq., decorated with greens and flowers, contesting on the best kiosk decoration and throwing each other violets
and serpentines, and watering the passers-by with "pompets' of watered perfume. The last Sunday of the Carnival everybody was with masks on the Liston, either walking or on coach for the 'Will' and the cremation of King-Carnival at 12 at mid-night.

Honorary Citizens :

Honorary Citizens
Honorary Citizen & Golden Medal of the European Summit Conference With the 15-168/17-6-1994 decision
of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to
Andreas Papandreou (ex Prime Minister) on a ceremony held on 26 June 1994. With the same decision and on the same ceremony the Golden Medal of the European Summit Conference was awarded to Andreas Papandreou.

Honorary Citizen & Golden Medal of the European Summit Conference With the 15-168/17-6-1994 decision
of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to Jacques Delor
(ex European Council President) on a ceremony held on 26 June 1994. With the same decision and on the same ceremony the Golden Medal of the European Summit Conference was awarded to Jacques Delor.

Honorary Citizen & Golden Medal of the European Summit Conference With the 17-148/14-5-1996 decision
of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to Konstantinos Stefanopoulos (President of Greece) on a ceremony held on 21 May 1996. With the same decision and on the same ceremony the Golden Medal of the European Summit Conference was awarded to Konstantinos Stefanopoulos.

Honorary Citizen With the 38-369/2-8-1999 decision of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to his Beatitude the Archbishop of Greece Christodoulos on a ceremony held on 10 August 1999.

Honorary Citizens With the 34-341/28-8-2000 decision of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to Manolis Glezos & Apostolos Santas (WWII heroes) on a ceremony held on
14 September.

Honorary Citizen With the 46-625/19-10-2001 decision of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to Leonidas Kyrkos (National Resistance hero) on a ceremony held
on 20 October 2001.

Honorary Citizen With decision of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to Spyros Papadopoulos (actor) on a ceremony held on 11 June 2002.

Honorary Citizen With decision of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to Kakia Igerinou (scriptwriter) on a ceremony held on 15 June 2002.

Honorary Citizen With decision of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to Thanasis Vengos (actor) on a ceremony held on 15 June 2002.

Honorary Citizen With the 35-489/19-8-2002 decision of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to Michael Doukakis (U.S.A. Presidency candidate) on a ceremony held
on 4 September 2002.

Honorary Citizens With the 17-176/6-3-2001 decision of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizen of Corfu was awarded to Konstantinos Dracopoulos & Dimitris Krontiras (art sponsors) on a ceremony held on 9 April 2001.

Honorary Citizen With decision of the Municipal Council of Corfu the title of the Honorary Citizaen of Corfu was awarded to Reina Escenazi (tv director) on a ceremony held on 11 June 2002.

Corfou Honors:

WAR-CROSS OF THE FIRST CLASS
The Municipality of Corfu has been awarded the War-Cross of the First Class with a Royal Edict since 21st October 1945, because the city repeatedly suffered intensive bombardment during the War of 1940-41, while the citizens of the city exhibited, during these bombardments, unrivalled endurance and heroism up to the point of self-sacrifice The War-Cross has the form of copper crowned-cross, of the perforated golden crown type. Between the branches of the cross there are crossed swards with the helve at the bottom and at the cross-point there is a circle with the monogram of King George II of the Hellenes .

SPECIAL AWARD "TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENT"
On 22nd November 1995 the Municipality of Corfu was awarded the Special Award for the restoration and the preservation of the architectural heritage, during a special ceremony in Brussels. The European Committee proclaimed the Pan-European Contest for the Special Award "Tourism and Environment" and the candidacy of the Municipality of Corfu was the only one from Greece that reached the final stage of the contest.

Trouver Hotels 3 étoiles à Corfou

Trouver Hotels 3 étoiles à Corfou