Top landmarks to visit in Corfu Town

Top landmaks to visit in Corfu Town

The Old Fortress

The Old Fortress of Corfu is a Venetian fortress in the city of Corfu. The fortress covers the promontory which initially contained the old town of Corfu that had emerged during Byzantine times. The citadel features two peaks which were fortified by strong towers for centuries. The western and higher peak, which is closer to the town, was fortified by the Byzantines around the 12th century AD and was called Castel a Terra or “Castle near the Land” by the Venetians, who also called it Castel Nuovo or “New Castle”. The eastern peak was called Castel a Mare (Castel by the Sea) or Castel Vecchio (Old Castle) by the Venetians and was also used as powder magazine for a time. The Fortress houses the Public library of Corfu which is located in the old British barracks. The fortress grounds are also used for various types of art and culture exhibits. The Hellenic Music Research Lab of the Ionian University is also located at the Old Fortress. The Fortress was the location of a scene from the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only in which the Mercedes of the evil adversary of Bond, Emile Locque, gets pushed off a cliff by Bond. Source: Wikipedia Old Fortress 2Old Fortress

Spianada Square / Liston

The Spianada is a large square in the city of Corfu. It is the largest square in Greece and is located in front of the Old Fortress.  The square’s name derives from the Venetian word for “open flat area”, during the four centuries of Venetian rule in the island of Corfu. Its final construction dates back to the temporary French occupation of the Ionian islands and Corfu during the Napoleonic Wars. The “cricket court”, a large park area, occupies a large section of the square. The love of the city inhabitants for cricket is of British origin, from the period of British domination (1814-1864). It is one of the most central and popular sites of the city and a tourist destination. Source: Wikipedia

New Fortress

The New Fortress of Corfu (Greek: Νέο Φρούριο; Venetian: Fortezza Nuova) is a Venetian fortress built on the hill of St. Mark in Corfu in stages. The original architect of the fort was the military engineer Ferrante Vitelli. The current buildings which exist within the fortress were built by the British during their rule of the island (1815–63). At the top of the castle there is a stone building which was used for defence and a brick building which in modern times functions as the headquarters of the Naval Station of Corfu. The Venetian fortifications were later expanded by the British and the French to help defend against a possible Turkish attack. Its fortifications included 700 pieces of artillery with range estimated as far as the Albanian coast. Source: Wikipedia

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