Description of the attraction
The city of Kerkyra was under the rule of the Venetians for over four centuries. The Venetian rule, like the later British rule, left a kind of imprint on the architecture of the city.
The bright red dome of the Church of St. Spyridon, visible from almost everywhere, is an excellent landmark. The church was built in 1589 and consecrated in honor of the main patron saint of the city. The relics of the saint rest in a silver coffin in the church. In the church you can see many silver items, utensils - these are the offerings of the pilgrims.
The center of the city's life is the Spianada promenade. There are many shops and cafeterias here. In the public garden there is a rotunda surrounded by columns, a monument to the first English Lord Protector of the island, Sir Thomas Maitland. Nearby there is a monument to the Venetian Marshal Schulenburg, who saved the city from the last Turkish siege in 1716.
Nearby is the Old Fortress (Paleo Frurio). Fortifications began to be built here from the 7th century, but the current fortress was built by the Venetians in the middle of the 16th century. An explosion in the 18th century destroyed most of the fortifications. The top of the fortress offers a magnificent view of the city and the east coast of the island.
The cathedral was built in 1577; in the 19th century, the temple was significantly expanded. The relics of the holy Empress Theodora are wounded in a silver reliquary at the altar in the chapel of the same name.
Palace of Sts. Michael and George was built by the British in the early 19th century. Now it houses state institutions and the Museum of Art of Asian Countries, at the heart of the exposition of which is the personal collection of the diplomat G. Manos. The Archaeological Museum of the city is located by the sea, the exposition of which contains items from the excavations in the Temple of Artemis and at the Villa Mon Repos. The Byzantine Museum contains about a hundred ancient icons, including the works of the artists of the Cretan school. In the Museum of Paper Money, you can see the complete collection of Greek banknotes and get acquainted with the technique of their printing.
