Panayia Neradziha and the ancient wall

  Panayia Neradziha is an important monument which clearly reveals its two construction periods: Classical and Byzantine. 

  The lower part is the only surviving and visible section of the wall of the ancient city of Kerkyra and its construction is dated to the Classical period (5th century AD). It is a fortification tower, probably connected to the nearby Hyllaian narbour, which is now the airport lagoon and with the north gate in the fortifying wall.

  In the Byzantine period, the tower was converted into a small aisleless basilica with a three-sided sanctuary apse and elaborate ornamental brickwork on the exterior. The latter is a typical feature of the Byzantine architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries, when the church was founded. From this period survives almost the entire north side, with two blind arches and an arched opening. In the post-Byzantine period (after 1453), the church was repaired and a narthex was added to the south side. According to the written sources, the church was in a ruinous state in 1753-4. The monument took on its present form when the belfry, the apse and the west wall collapsed cerca 1900. 

  The church must have been dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Theotokos Odigitria), the patron of Constantinople, for special prayers are still said every year on 23 August, her feast day, in front of the iconostasis. It probably acquired the epithet "Neradziha", which is still used today, from the surrounding district.

The doric temple of Artemis

  The sanctuary of Artemis was a significant place of worship of the ancient city of Corfu. This doric temple had 8 columns in the short and 17 in the long sides, while its interior was divided into a pronaos, cella and opisthodromos.

   Its western pediment is on display at the local archeological museum with Gorgo as its central figure. It dates back to the early 6th century (580 BC) and constitutes the earliest stone pediment with relief decoration in greek art.

  Ruins of the temple's foundation still survive as do as the altar and and part of the slate-paved road that connected the altar with the temple of Artemis. 

  Alongside with the temple's northern face, part of an analemma still remains, in front of which a crepidoma was discovered - possibly supporting the lateral columns.

Τhe old hospital building

  Right across the prison complex there is an old three-storey building which is home to the 3rd and 4th Corfu high schools. Almost all sides of the edifice and its backyard are encircled by tall wall which probably has to do with the fact that the schools are located a breath away from the maximum security prisons. But why they choose to build a school up there?

  The reason is that the building originally was home to the old hospital until 1966 when it moved to the St. Irene hospital on the slope of the Avrami hill (now vacant as it was moved again to the brand new Kontakali building). Then, the authorities choosed to house two high schools in the existing building most probably in order to cut costs.

  The building across the prison was built in 1820s, when Corfu was still under the british rule in order to house the prison administration and sanitary department. By that time there was need for a bigger hospital building, so in 1851 the institution moved from the small edifice in Mantouki to that which was bigger and more efficient. 

                                                 

  Now functioning as home for two educational institutions, some parents complain about the school's location close to a penitential institution demanding its relocation.

Corfu then and now 12: The Old Fortress peninsula 1500 years ago

     The peninsula on which the Old Fortress has been built was uninhabited until 550 A.D. when occured the sack of Palaiopolis by the Goths of Totila. As a consequence, the city was gradually transferred to the naturally fortified and more secure nearby rock of the two peaks, the modern-day Old Fortress. This small rocky peninsula which extends eastwards into the sea would henceforth comprise the middle byzantine city called Koryphó. Much later, in the 16th century, the venetians constructed an artificial defensive canal, the so called "Contrafossa" which separated the peninsula from the island. 

   Below you can see an imaginative depiction of the peninsula made by Theofilos Tzikas before the byzantine Koryphó been built and  a modern photo of how it looks like today from the same angle.

   

Corfu then and now 11: The Spilia square

  Most of you have probably passed by the two pretty large squares in the old port area, where the new city marina is under construction. Well, before the 2nd WW bombings by the germans, the area was a major commercial centre bustling with activity. Many buildings and residences had been scattered around on what later became known as Spilia square. Among them, the famous "Markas" building, the town's old market building. 

  In the early 1800s engraving below you can see the Markas area looking towards east. In the centre of the engraving stands out the Markas building, which original façade and cupola looked lush. On the right, the old cereal storage building complex which survive up to our days and is home to the Agricultural bank. On the other side there were some residences which no longer exist.

  Which of the two images you prefer? It's a pity that the Markas building no longer exists, it would have been great to have it too standing in the middle of the square serving as the main town's farmer's market.

The area in which Spilia square is located today in the early 1800s.

The same view today...

The old 12th primary school of Corfu building

   Across the road where the 1st and 5th high school buildings are, another old building can be found. The two storey building used to house the 12th primary school until 2005 when the school moved nearby in Marasli street. The upper floor is home to few catholic nanies but the ground floor is home to the Caritas organization of the Catholic church and to the Union of Northern Epirots of Corfu. 

   That was the school were I learned how to write and spend my first six years of my life as a pupil. I consider myself lucky to spend a part of my childhood there because the enviroment was friendly and there was a large lawn with palm trees and other trees in which we were playing during the break.

  Hopefully, that old beautiful building still stands thanks to the christian catholic community of the island which takes care of it. 

A lecture about the 1716 siege of Corfu (in greek)

   Professor George Zoumpos gave recently a lecture at the palace's gardens about the great siege of Corfu which took place in 1716. This important battle is commemorated every August the 11th with the litany of St. Spyridon who, according to the local religious beliefs, saved the island from the ottoman turks.
  During this one hour-long lecture, mr. Zoumpos is giving us a detailed discussion about the siege after many years of personal research.

The Giallinas mansion

   This mansion facing the Esplanade was where corfiot painter Aggelos Giallinas (1857-1939) once lived. Its arquitectural style is similar to that of the Ricci mansion in Plati Kantouni as its dominant feature is the venetian arched portico and the balcony above it too.

   There is a commemorative plaque on its façade stating the fact that one of the most famous corfiot artists lived a great part of his life in this building.

   Below there are some photos of the mansion that I took this evening, The mansion hopefully is under renovation after 2010 theft where many paintings of the famous artists had been stolen. 

   This is the main entrance which leads to the second and third floor (the lower floor houses a billiard club and a bar). It can be found on the right hand side of the building. But this side is looking really run-down. Let's hope the renovation will finish soon and the building become a museum in which the work of this important artist will be exposed.

The origin of the word "Esplanade"

   Did you know that the word "Esplanade" shares the common latin root with the verb "to explain"?

In the latin language exists the verb "explanare" (ex+planus) which has two definitions:
a) to flatten and b) to make smth clear, to explain.

  The verb was adopted by the modern latin languages, as well as by English. So in Spanish exists the verb "explanar" and in Italian the verb "spianare".
  From the Perfect Passive Participle of the latin verb "explanar" ("explanata"= flattened) derives the italian word "Spianata", the spanish "Explanada" and the english "Esplanade" which is used to describe a flattened terrain without trees or a square.

• Special thanks to my friend and colleague Kostas for discovering this.

The Ioannis Kapodistrias statue

   One of the most beautiful statues in Greece can be found on the southern end of Spianada ("Esplanade") just across the road from the Ionian Academy building.

   Kapodistrias was the first governor of Greece. He was born in Corfu from a noble family which its roots can be traced  in the old venetian town of Capo d'Istria (today known as Koper in Slovenia). He served as minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Empire but he returned to his homeland in 1828 to become the first governor of independent Greece. His tenure was very sucessful but he was hated by some rich greek families. When in 1831 Kapodistrias ordered the imprisonment of Petrobey Mavromichalis, a well known rebelion from Mani, his family took it as an offence and on October 9th, 1831 Petrobey's brother Konstantis and his son Georgios assessinate him in Nafplion, the first greek capital.

   Today Kapodistrias is greatly honoured in Greece. The statue was sculpted by Leonidas Drosis and his student Georgios Xenakis using the famous marble of mount Pentelikon in Attica. It was placed in 1887 on the site where originally stood the Douglas obelisk. 

   The  view from the Kapodistrias statue.

How it looked like the medieval town of Corfu?

   Little is known about how the medieval town of Corfu looked liked before the completition of the complex 16th century venetian fortifications. There are few sources such as the map schetched by Konrad von Grünenberg in 1487, few decades before the completion of the Contrafossa canal which seperates the Old Fortress peninsula with the rest of Corfu Town. 

  In the map it is easily noticed that Contrafossa hadn't yet been constructed and most of town's residents lived inside the walled Old Fortress peninsula. Outside that walled area, there was Borgo, the then unwalled suburb. Few decades later Borgo became the central part of the town as many people had been forced to leave the fortress which became the administrative and military centre of the island. The port of the medieval town was at Mandraki, which today is a small marina. There was a wooden bridge which provided access to the breakewater on which the ships moored. 

   The two hill tops from which Corfu took its name (Kορυφώ= mountain/hill top) dominated the town below them. It seems that there were two castles on the top of each hill. There was a church between the hills too.

   The Grünenberg map is rich in detail and probably is more realistic that somebody might think.

    

Konrad von Grünenberg 1487 map

A modern representation of medieval Corfu

The Ricci mansion

   In Moustoksidi street (colloquially known as "Plati Kantuni") stands the 17th century venetian mansion which belonged to the Ricci family. 

   Originally it had two floors and its main feature is the arched portico decorated with busts known as "mouronia". Above the portico there is a balcony from which the nobles watched the giostre, the venetian horse riding tournaments which took place during the carnival. 

   Afterwards, another two floors were added and the mansion served as a hotel named "Pension Suisse". It destroyed during the Second World War but it was restored by the end of it.

   Here are the nine busts ("mouronia") that adorn the portico of the mansion.