The well is richly ornated with engravings and commemorative inscriptions. It is an octagon so it has eight faces. On one of them we could read in Latin:
OPVS
ANTONII COCCHINI
PRO
COMMVNI BENEFICIO
MDCXXXXIX
1699
The same inscription in Greek could be seen on the face facing the church of Kremasti:
ΕΡΓΟΝ
ΑΝΤΩΝΙΟΥ
ΚΟΚΚΙΝΗ
ΕΙΣ
ΚΟΙΝΗΝ
ΩΦΕΛΕΙΑΝ
In English, the inscriptions could be translated like: "To the greatest and best god/ work of Antonio Cocchini/ for the common benefit/ 1699"
Two other faces bear the Cocchini family coat of arms:
Here are some photos of the venetian well and its environs:
- Another venetian relic similar to this well, a fountain, could be found at the Esplanade:
http://johncorfuworld.blogspot.com/2010/04/eight-faces-of-old-venetian-fountain-in.html
6 comments:
My Father used to have an art gallery/bar in front of this well and told me that there is a legend that the well is haunted. Apparently a long time ago a cow fell into the well and died and now (supposedly) every so many years (every 8, or something like that.. don't remember) on the eve of it's passing a ghostly can descends the steps intp the plaza... it's bell ringing in the night air, and promptly falls back into the well... recreating the tragedy of it's own passing. My Dad was born and raised in Corfu and although I have doubted many things my father told me about Greece and Corfu as a young man... most of what he told me turned out to be true... so, who knows?
Nice ghost story but it seems hard to believe that there were cows in Campiello as it was an urban area without any market nearby. Probably is only a legend!
Anyway, thanks for sharing the story!
One of the most powerfull 'locus' in Corfu town. Here,the famous corfiot writer and translator Sotiris Trivizas writes about it (In greek language)
http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/kane/51/kremasti.html
The famous writer and translator Corfiot Sotiris Trivizas the occasion of the dedication ¨ fear and terror "that was presented in the previous issue of EXIT, records his meeting with ... the ghost of the bull of Panagia Kremasti.
" They arrived, finally, the square and sat in Kremasti Venetian well to rest. The wind had died down. A deep silence spread around to the cut off every now and grit of a window grille, the remote ylaki a dog. Across from the well outside the church of Panagia efenge the lime candle that looked after each day the women of the neighborhood to not saving it in oil. Suddenly the three men heard in the eerie silence of the night a distant clatter was close to becoming. Stood up and before they react n, saw the beginning of the road Komninon displayed a huge black bull. The bull came before them, looked at them with bleary eyes, sometimes hit his foot on the ground and then left facing the sea. The three men heard the hooves of n echo the cobbled alleyways, but was unable to say whether the noise that reached their ears was the sad mougkanisma the bull or the wind had got up again.
¨ What was that? "Stammered the young student ghastly. ¨ What are you doing a midnight bull in the heart of the city?"
The lawyer, who seemed to have found his composure again, fixing his nose glasses and then told them about the following story:
¨ Years old, Turk-Albanians robbers came from the opposite shore. Night attacked in a country mansion, owners and massacred diagoumisan in their life. Among the loot was a big black bull. But when the robbers loaded the booty in the boat and sail to the opposite shore, a mysterious force prevented them leave. The boat, instead go ahead, back in the port city. It was November, the day of the Presentation. Terrified the thieves tried to appease the invisible force. They came, then the square of Kremasti and tied the bull outside the church. But Mary did not accept the sin offering. The bull cut the rope and hung around all night free moukanontas in alleyways. Centuries have passed since then. But every year, on the eve of the Virgin, the black bull, the ghost of Kremasti, leaving again the sad mougkanisma the Square. "
For some time nobody spoke. ¨ We are built on a paradox, "he said at a puny government official. ¨ Just our eyes want to see beyond this world."
Translated.. Pops was rarely wrong.
Excellent blog, as usual, John. Always a pleasure to log in.
wonderful pics and write-up of the wonderful Venetian Well.
sad rumour hath that the whole place is closing once and for all on September 10 2011.
book early for this historic occasion
Niice post
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