Description of the attraction
Villa (palace) Mon Repo is located on the top of the Analipsi hill south of the modern city of Corfu. The impressive architectural structure is located in a huge green park with centuries-old trees. According to archaeological findings, the villa is located on the site of the ancient city of Corfu.
The Mon Repos Villa was built in 1826 by order of the British Commissioner Frederick Adams as a gift for his wife. It is a small but very beautiful palace with colonial architectural elements. Later, the Mon Repo villa became the summer residence of all the English governors of Corfu. In 1864, when the Ionian Islands were annexed to Greece, King George I of Great Britain presented the villa to the Greek royal family. On June 10, 1921, Prince Philip was born here (Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II). During the Italian occupation of Corfu during World War II, the palace became the seat of the Italian governor of the Ionian Islands.
For several decades, ownership of the Villa Mon Repos was disputed between the Greek government and the royal family. The ex-king of Greece Constantine insisted on the official confirmation of his ownership of the villa, since during his reign his personal summer residence was located here and it was received as a gift to the royal family. However, the Greek government viewed the palace as the property of the Greek state. Finally, in 2002, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg awarded the ex-king £ 7 million in compensation (for all property lost since the abolition of the royal monarchy in 1975) and secured ownership of the villa to the Greek state.
Today Villa Mon Repo is administered by the Municipality of Corfu. A wonderful architectural structure that has preserved its former grandeur, and the surrounding shady park attracts thousands of tourists every year. The building itself houses a museum that houses treasures raised from the bottom of the Ionian Sea and artifacts found during excavations of ancient Corfu.
