Corfu or Kerkyra is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It has small satellite islands that form the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit. It is administered by three municipalities with the islands of Othonoi, Ereikoussa, and Mathraki. The principal city of the island has population of 32,095 is also named Corfu. Corfu Old Town is home to the Ionian University.
History
The island is full with the history of Greece from the beginnings of Greek mythology. Its history is full of battles and conquests. Ancient Korkyra took part in the Battle of Sybota which was a catalyst for the Peloponnesian War, and, according to Thucydides, the largest naval battle between Greek city states until that hastime. Thucydides also reports that Korkyra was one of the three great naval powers of fifth century BC Greece, along with Athens and Corinth.
Ruins of ancient Greek temples and other archaeological sites of the ancient city of Korkyra are found in Palaiopolis. Medieval castles punctuating strategic locations across the island are a legacy of struggles in the Middle Ages against invasions by pirates and the Ottomans. Two of these castles are in the capital.
Wars
From medieval times and into the 17th century, the island,had successfully repulsed the Ottomans during several sieges. Also, it was as a bulwark of the European States against the Ottoman Empire. It was one of the most fortified places in Europe. The Venetians used the fortifications of the island to defend against Ottoman intrusion into the Adriatic.
Corfu eventually fell under British rule following the Napoleonic Wars. Corfu is the origin of the Ionian Academy. The prototype university of the modern Greek state and the Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù. The first Greek theatre and opera house of modern Greece.
The governor Ioannis Kapodistrias of independent Greece,was the first govenor after the revolution of 1821. He is the founder of the modern Greek state, and distinguished European diplomat Ioannis Kapodistrias was born in Corfu.
In 2007, the city’s old town is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, following a recommendation by ICOMOS. In 1994, the European Union summit was held in Corfu. The island is a popular tourist destination.
