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88-595: In the 19th century the island was the capital of the Diapontia Islands municipality, which also included nearby islands of Ereikoussa , Mathraki , islets and rocks of Diakopo, Diaplo, Karavi, Kastrino, Leipso, Ostrako, Plaka, Plateia and Tracheia. Othonoi is about 47 nautical miles from Santa Maria di Leuca cape, Italy. The first name according to ancient texts (Hesychius, 3rd cent. BC) was "Othronos" (Ὀθρωνός), "Othronoi" (Ὀθρωνοί) and by Procopius seems to be "Othonē" (Ὀθωνή) (6th c.). According to Pliny (1st cent.), it

176-782: A fiefdom , called the Feudum Acinganorum was established, with mainly Romani serfs . From 1386, Corfu was controlled by the Republic of Venice , which in 1401 acquired formal sovereignty and retained it until the French Occupation of 1797. Corfu became central for the propagation of the activities of the Filiki Etaireia among the Greek Diaspora and philhellenic societies across Europe, through nobles like Ioannis Kapodistrias and Dionysios Romas . From medieval times and into

264-549: A heliport for emergencies. Asphalt roads are available on many parts of the island, about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) of which are extended to settlements. There is complete electrification and a telephone network with Internet access. Ereikoussa Erikoussa ( Greek : Ερεικούσσα ) is an island and a former community of the Ionian Islands , Greece . It is one of the Diapontian Islands ; an island complex to

352-573: A base against Mark Antony . Christianity arrived in Corfu early; two disciples of Saint Paul , Jason of Tarsus and Sosipatrus of Patras, taught the Gospel, and according to tradition the city of Corfu and much of the island converted to Christianity. Their relics were housed in the old cathedral (at the site of the current Old Fortress, before a dedicated church was built for them c.  100 AD . During Late Antiquity (late Roman/early Byzantine period),

440-583: A dowry in 1259. At his death in 1267 it passed to the House of Anjou . Thus, Corfu became a part of the Angevin Kingdom of Albania that was established and ruled by Frankish Charles of Anjou of the royal  Capetian dynasty . Under the latter, the island suffered considerably from the inroads of various adventurers. The island was one of the first places in Europe in which Romani people settled. In about 1360,

528-671: A high content of high-quality oil, which is common in all the Ionian Islands . It was densely planted during Venetian rule , so most are aged 300–400 years exceeding a height of 7 metres (23 ft). There are cypresses and fruit trees on almost all mountain slopes. The tall mulberry (or Skamnia) and fig (or Skeria) are found in nearly all districts and gardens that host many species of fruit and vegetables, and features large cabbage called by Othoniotes cramps , as in Cyprus . Most houses have, instead of tents or sheds, pergolas with vines or pergoulies. Oregano , sage and many other herbs. Othonoi

616-479: A large cave there. Odysseus fell in love with her, and remained there seven years as her prisoner. Maps of geographers like Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville , Philipp Clüver , Petrus Bertius , and Aaron Arrowsmith , refer to Ogygia as an island northwest of Corfu , Greece. Some evidence in favor of this legend appears in the same writings of Homer. He described a strong scent of cypress on Ogygia, and many cypress trees grow on Othonoi. Shortly after leaving

704-608: A ten-month siege for Manuel I Komnenos to recover the island in 1149. In the third invasion in 1185, the island was again captured by William II of Sicily , but was soon regained by Isaac II Angelos . During the break-up of the Byzantine Empire the island was occupied by Genoese privateers (1197–1207), who in turn were expelled by the Venetians. In 1214 it passed to the Greek despots of Epirus , who gave it to Manfred of Sicily as

792-578: Is Mount Pantokrator (906 m (2,972 ft)); and the second Stravoskiadi, at 849 m (2,785 ft). The full extent of capes and promontories take in Agia Aikaterini, Drastis to the north, Lefkimmi and Asprokavos to the southeast, and Megachoro to the south. Two islands are also to be found at a middle point of Gouvia and Corfu Bay, which extends across much of the eastern shore of the island; are known as Lazareto and Ptychia (or Vido). The Diapontia Islands (Greek: Διαπόντια νησιά) are located in

880-452: Is 16.7 °C. About 1026 mm of precipitation falls annually. A dialect is spoken resembling that of Corfu and having similar prosody. It is heavily influenced by Italian. The island is accessible by boat with regular services from Corfu port and Agios Stefanos Avliotes . There is a port in Avlakia district (with fishing port), for several small private yachts and boats.The island has

968-400: Is 3.65 square kilometres (1 sq mi). The municipal unit has an area of 4.449 km . It has six settlements; the main one is Porto (Πόρτο), which is also where the only port is located. The island has dense vegetation and three beaches; Porto (Πόρτο), Bragini (Μπραγκίνι), and Fiki (Φύκι). The name Ereikoussa derives from the plant ereíki (ερείκη), which can be found throughout

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1056-507: Is 42.8 °C (109.0 °F) on 24 July 2007 while the lowest is −6.0 °C (21.2 °F) on 17 January 2012. Hellenic National Meteorological Service Homer identifies six plants that adorn the garden of Alcinous : wild olive, pear, pomegranate , apple, fig and grape vine . Of these the apple and the pear are very inferior in Corfu; the others thrive, together with all the fruit trees known in Southern Europe , with addition of

1144-515: Is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea , of the Ionian Islands , and, including its small satellite islands , forms the margin of the nation's northwestern frontier with Albania . The island is part of the Corfu regional unit , and is administered by three municipalities with the islands of Othonoi , Ereikoussa , and Mathraki . The principal city of the island (pop. 32,095) is also named Corfu . Corfu

1232-422: Is a continental island ; its fauna is similar to that of the opposite mainland. Avifauna is extensive, with around 300 bird species recorded since the 19th century. Species vary in size from the greater flamingo to the goldcrest . Some species have become extinct, such as the rock partridge and the grey partridge , or no longer breed on the island, like the eastern imperial eagle , the white-tailed eagle ,

1320-562: Is a tourist attraction today. These defeats in the east and the west of the island proved decisive, and the Ottomans abandoned their siege and departed. Two years later they repeated their attempt. Coming from Africa after a victorious campaign, they landed in Corfu and wreaked havoc on rural areas. Following a counterattack by the Venetian-Corfiot forces, the Ottoman troops were forced to leave

1408-742: Is called by misinterpretation of the Greek designation Άγιοι Δέκα (Hagioi Deka), or the Ten Saints. The whole island, composed as it is of various limestone formations, presents great diversity of surface. Beaches are found in Agios Gordis, the Korission Lagoon , Agios Georgios, Marathia, Kassiopi, Sidari, Palaiokastritsa and many others. Corfu is located near the Kefalonia geological fault formation; earthquakes have occurred. Corfu's coastline spans 217 km (135 mi) including capes; its highest point

1496-409: Is divided into two regions which are Ano Panta ( Greek : Άνω Πάντα ) and Kato Panta ( Greek : Κάτω Πάντα ). There are more than 20 settlements. Most beaches on the island are accessible by boat, including Ammos, Molos, Kamini, Kanoula, Kontoskes, Rogi, Fyki, Xilosermi, and Aspri Ammos. It is a well-known island for underwater photography because of the peculiar geomorphology of the seabed and

1584-587: Is home to the Ionian University . The island is bound up with the history of Greece from the beginnings of Greek mythology , and is marked by numerous 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 time. Thucydides also reports that Korkyra

1672-827: Is the Mycenaean Greek word ko-ro-ku-ra-i-jo ( "man from Kerkyra") written in Linear B syllabic script, c. 1300 BC. According to Strabo , Corcyra (Κόρκυρα) was the Homeric island of Scheria (Σχερία), and its earliest inhabitants were the Phaeacians (Φαίακες). The island has indeed been identified by some scholars with Scheria , the island of the Phaeacians described in Homer 's Odyssey , though conclusive and irrefutable evidence for this theory has not been found. Apollonius of Rhodes depicts

1760-501: Is the first migratory bird station in southeastern Europe from Libya , especially for turtle doves . There are also grouse and snipe (xilokotes) during the winter months, and Petritis falcons , the European bee-eater birds, martins , ravens and several species of eagles . There are several hares and rabbits . The most common species of reptile is the viper ( Vipera ammodytes or astritis). Marine mammals have been observed off

1848-600: Is the only city in Greece to be surrounded in such a way. As a result, Corfu's capital has been officially declared a Kastropolis ("castle city") by the Greek government. From medieval times and into the 17th century, the island, as part of the Republic of Venice since 1204, successfully repulsed the Ottomans during several sieges, was recognised as a bulwark of the European States against the Ottoman Empire and became one of

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1936-522: Is the origin of the Ionian Academy , the first 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 first governor of independent Greece after the revolution of 1821, founder of the modern Greek state, and distinguished European diplomat Ioannis Kapodistrias was born in Corfu. In 2007, the city's old town

2024-452: Is the presence of barnacles and sea urchins . Zooplankton is in small coves of the island and especially in seaweed is abundant at night, and when the sea is calm, the plankton illuminates the sea bed. The climate of Othonoi is mild and generally warm and temperate. The winters are rainier than the summers. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Csa. The average temperature in Othonoi

2112-523: The Albanian name is Strakëna , which may be a cognate of it that ultimately derives from reconstructed Doric Greek Ostrakonásion ( Οστρακονάσιον ). A second etymological approach for the latter, is that it derives from the plural of the Greek adjective ostrakinón (οστρακινόν), which is ostrakiná (οστρακινά); likely expressing a quality of the island. Nowadays the Othonians living in Corfu sometimes call

2200-622: The Balkan whip snake , the Caspian whip snake , the four-lined snake , the Aesculapian snake , the leopard snake , the grass snake , the dice snake , the European cat snake , the eastern Montpellier snake . There are 75 (plus) known species of Corfiot butterfly. Of particular interest are the southern swallowtail , southern festoon , Oberthür's grizzled skipper , Lulworth skipper , eastern orange tip , Krueper's small white , eastern baton blue and

2288-552: The Bonelli's eagle , the griffon vulture and the Egyptian vulture . Around 40 species of mammals live on the island and in the sea around it. Fin whales , sperm whales , Cuvier's beaked whales , common bottlenose dolphins , short-beaked common dolphins , striped dolphins and Risso's dolphins are the regularly present cetaceans. Monk seals appear from time to time without breeding there anymore. Eurasian otters still survive in

2376-517: The Dalmatian algyroides , the common wall lizard , the Balkan wall lizard , the Balkan green lizard , the European green lizard and the snake-eyed skink as also the legless Greek slow worm and the European glass lizard . Of the snakes of Corfu, only the nose-horned viper is potentially dangerous. The harmless snake list includes the European worm snake , the javelin sand boa , the Dahl's whip snake ,

2464-535: The Kingdom of Greece , the Ionian Islands including the Diapontian islands passed definitively to Greek sovereignty on 21 May. From 1869 until 1912 Othonoi, Ereikousa and Mathraki formed the municipality of Dimos Diapontion with Othonoi as capital. On 29 December 1940, the Greek submarine Protefs sank in the sea area of Othonoi. The submarine had attacked an Italian convoy carrying ammunition to Vlorë . After sinking

2552-555: The Ottoman tide. Today, however, this role is often relatively unknown or ignored, but was celebrated in Juditha triumphans by the Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi . Corfu's urban architecture differs from that of other major Greek cities, because of Corfu's unique history. From 1386 to 1797, Corfu was ruled by Venetian nobility; much of the city reflects this era when the island belonged to

2640-499: The Republic of Venice , with multi-storeyed buildings on narrow lanes. The Old Town of Corfu has clear Venetian influence and is amongst the World Heritage Sites in Greece . It was in the Venetian period that the city saw the erection of the first opera house ( Nobile Teatro di San Giacomo di Corfù ) in Greece. Many Venetian-speaking families settled in Corfu during these centuries; they were called Corfiot Italians , and until

2728-403: The kumquat , loquat and prickly pear and, in some spots, the banana. Olive trees dominate and their combination with cypress trees compose the typical Corfiot landscape. When undisturbed by cultivation, the high maquis is the major natural vegetation type followed by deciduous oak forests and to a lesser extent, pine forests. In total more than 1800 plant species have been recorded. Corfu

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2816-443: The tree grayling , many of which are of near threatened status . Before the turn of the century, not much had been published about the butterfly fauna of Corfu, and there were only a few short and obscure scientific articles. Recent interest grew when a Facebook discussion page (now called Corfu Butterfly Conservation) was created on 27th April 2014. Since that time, a group of responsible butterfly enthusiasts has grown (731 members at

2904-467: The "Door of Venice" during the centuries when the whole Adriatic was the Gulf of Venice , remained in Venetian hands from 1401 until 1797, though several times assailed by Ottoman naval and land forces and subjected to four notable sieges in 1537 , 1571, 1573 and 1716 , in which the strength of the city defences asserted itself time after time. The effectiveness of the powerful Venetian fortifications as well as

2992-518: The 17th century, the island was recognised as a bulwark of the European States against the Ottoman Empire and became one of the most fortified places in Europe. The fortifications of the island were used by the Venetians to defend against Ottoman intrusion into the Adriatic . Corfu repulsed several Ottoman sieges, before passing under British rule following the Napoleonic Wars . Kerkyra,

3080-496: The Ottoman fleet off the Corfu Channel and defeated it in the ensuing naval battle. On 19 July, after taking a few outlying forts, the Ottoman army reached the hills around the city of Corfu and laid siege to it. Despite repeated assaults and heavy fighting, the Ottomans were unable to breach the defences and were forced to raise the siege after 22 days. The 5,000 Venetians and foreign mercenaries, together with 3,000 Corfiotes, under

3168-558: The Turks left the island unsuccessfully because of poor logistics and an epidemic that decimated their ranks. Thirty-four years later, in August 1571, Ottoman forces returned for yet another attempt to conquer the island. Having seized Parga and Mourtos from the Greek mainland side, they attacked the Paxi islands. Subsequently they landed on Corfu's southeast shore and established a large beachhead all

3256-570: The USA) because of the unemployment and few exploitable resources (1900–1960). The main work was olive and olive oil production. Most men of that time were involved in nautical professions (sailor, bosun, carpenter, captain, skipper, etc.) and worked on commercial and warships which were operating in every part of the earth. The main occupations of current residents are tourism, construction, fishing, and olive production. Previously, there has been significant cultivation of vines, beekeeping and livestock. Othonoi

3344-624: The Venetian centuries and spoke their own language ( Italkian ), a mixture of Hebrew-Italian in a Venetian or Apulian dialect with some Greek words. Venetians promoted the Catholic Church during their four centuries of rule in Corfu. Today the majority of Corfiots are Greek Orthodox , but the small Catholic minority (5%), living harmoniously with the Orthodox community, owes its faith to these origins. These contemporary Catholics are mostly families who came from Malta , but also from Italy , and today

3432-447: The beautiful nymph Korkyra, daughter of Asopos and river nymph Metope , and abducted her. Poseidon brought Korkyra to the hitherto unnamed island and, in marital bliss, offered her name to the place: Korkyra , which gradually evolved to Kerkyra ( Doric ). They had a child, Phaiax, after whom the inhabitants of the island were named Phaiakes (in Latin , Phaeaciani ). Corfu is known as

3520-577: The benefit of Corfu's butterflies and the wider natural environment, as well as to stimulate public interest in butterfly conservation. CBC launched its website (www.corfubutterflyconservation.org, funded by the Royal Entomological Society 's Goodman Award) on the 1 January 2021 to coincide with the launch of the Corfu Butterfly Survey. The website describes the 75 species of butterflies that have been confirmed by members of CBC from

3608-504: The city sailing away. The second great siege of Corfu took place in 1716, during the last Ottoman–Venetian War (1714–18) . After the conquest of the Peloponnese in 1715, the Ottoman fleet appeared in Buthrotum opposite Corfu. On 8 July the Ottoman fleet, carrying 33,000 men, sailed to Corfu from Buthrotum and established a beachhead at Ipsos. The same day, the Venetian fleet encountered

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3696-570: The city, led by its archbishop, Arsenios, withstood a Saracen attack; Arsenios was canonized and became the city's patron saint . The peace and prosperity of the Macedonian era ended with another Saracen attack in 1033, but more importantly with the emergence of a new threat: following the Norman conquest of Southern Italy , the ambitious Norman monarchs set their sights on expansion in the East. Three times on

3784-513: The conquest of Corcyra by the Corinthian tyrant Periander (Περίανδρος) who induced his new subjects to join in the colonization of Apollonia and Anactorium . The island soon regained its independence and thenceforth devoted itself to a purely mercantile policy. During the Persian invasion of 480 BCE it manned the second largest Greek fleet (60 ships), but took no active part in the war. In 435 BCE it

3872-648: The coypu and the raccoon have established viable populations. Eight species of amphibians and 31 species of reptiles live or have been recorded on and around Corfu. The Greek newt , the Macedonian crested newt , the common toad , the European green toad , the European tree frog , the agile frog , the Epirus water frog and the Greek marsh frog are the representatives of the Amphibia Class. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on

3960-441: The current Old Fortress, where the rocky hills offered natural protection against raids. From the twin peaks of the new site, the medieval city received its new name, Korypho (Κορυφώ, "city on the peak") or Korphoi (Κορφοί, "peaks"), whence the modern Western name of "Corfu". The previous site of the city, now known as Palaiopolis (Παλαιόπολις, "old city"), continued to be inhabited for several centuries, however. From at least

4048-482: The death of Alexander , last King of Epirus. In 229 BCE, following the naval battle of Paxos , it was captured by the Illyrians , but was speedily delivered by a Roman fleet and remained a Roman naval station until at least 189 BCE. At this time, it was governed by a prefect (presumably nominated by the consuls), but in 148 BCE it was attached to the province of Macedonia . In 31 BCE, it served Octavian (Augustus) as

4136-501: The early 16th century, a monastery was built on the islet and a leprosarium established later in the century, after which the island was named. In 1798, during the French occupation, the islet was occupied by the Russo -Turkish fleet, who ran it as a military hospital. During the period of British rule , in 1814, the leprosarium was once again opened after renovations, and following Enosis in 1864

4224-457: The early 9th century, Corfu and the other Ionian Islands formed part of the theme of Cephallenia . This naval theme provided a defensive bulwark for Byzantium against western threats, but also played a major role in securing the sealanes to the Byzantine possessions in southern Italy . Indeed, traveller reports from throughout the middle Byzantine period (8th–12th centuries) make clear that Corfu

4312-521: The island Korkyra (Corfu) for a time, until the 8th century BCE. They reportedly were expelled from Korkyra by the Corinthians. At a date no doubt previous to the foundation of Syracuse , Corfu was peopled by settlers from Corinth , probably 730 BCE, but it appears to have previously received a stream of emigrants from Eretria . The commercially advantageous location of Corcyra on the way between Greece and Magna Grecia , and its fertile lowlands in

4400-531: The island "Pera" ("Πέρα" meaning: beyond), as the island is located beyond Corfu. At the beginning of the second millennium, the island was conquered alternatively by the Franks (the 11th century) and the Venetians (12th century), and often attacked by pirates of Barbary and Algeria . From the end of 1383 until 1386 the domination of Corfu was held by Charles III of Naples . In a letter from April 19, 1383, he granted

4488-513: The island formed part of the province of Epirus Vetus in the praetorian prefecture of Illyricum . In 551, during the Gothic War , the Ostrogoths raided the island and destroyed the city of Corfu, then known as Chersoupolis (Χερσούπολις, "city on the promontory") because of its location between Garitsa Bay and Kanoni. Over the next centuries, the main settlement was moved north, to the location of

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4576-534: The island in Argonautica as a place visited by the Argonauts. Jason and Medea were married there in 'Medea's Cave'. Apollonius named the island Drepane , Greek for "sickle", since it was thought to hide the sickle that Cronus used to castrate his father Uranus , from whose blood the Phaeacians were descended. In an alternative account, Apollonius identifies the buried sickle as a scythe belonging to Demeter , yet

4664-474: The island into three districts, of which the northern is mountainous, the central undulating, and the southern low-lying. The more important of the two ranges, that of Pantokrator (Παντοκράτωρ – the Almighty) stretches east and west from Cape Falacro to Cape Psaromita, and attains its greatest elevation in the summit of the same name. The second range culminates in the mountain of Santi Jeca, or Santa Decca, as it

4752-544: The island lies off the coast of Thesprotia , Greece. Its shape resembles a sickle ( drepanē, δρεπάνι ), to which it was compared by the ancients: the concave side, with the city and harbour of Corfu in the centre, lies toward the Albanian coast. With the island's area estimated at 592.9 km (228.9 sq mi; 146,500 acres), it runs approximately 64 km (40 mi) long, with greatest breadth at around 32 km (20 mi). Two high and well-defined ranges divide

4840-556: The island of the Phaeacians . The name Corfù is a Venetian and Italian version of the Byzantine Κορυφώ (Koryphō), meaning "city of the peaks". It derives from the Byzantine Greek Κορυφαί (Koryphai) (crests or peaks), denoting the two peaks of Palaio Frourio . The northeastern edge of Corfu lies off the coast of Sarandë , Albania , separated by straits varying in width from 3 to 23 km (2 to 14 miles). The southeast side of

4928-619: The island on a raft, Odysseus is shipwrecked on the island of Scheria , known today as Corfu. This implies that the two mythical islands were separated by a relatively short distance, and indeed, the islands of Othonoi and Corfu are separated by a relatively short distance. According to Hesychius, after the Trojan War , Elephenor , king of Avantes, fled from Euboea to the island after the fall of Troy , to atone as he had killed his grandfather, Abas. Most Othoniotes (local dialect: Thoniotes) have migrated to Corfu, Athens, and abroad (especially to

5016-417: The island's coast, including the bottlenose dolphin , at least three species of sharks (including white shark ), while sporadically near the cave of Calypso there have been monk seals . Also found are almost all varieties of marine fauna, such as the white sea bream , red mullet , the snapper , the grouper , the bumpkin (weighing up to 30 pounds), octopus , moray , the stingray , lobster . Remarkable

5104-404: The island. This Ionian Islands location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Corfu Corfu ( / k ɔːr ˈ f ( j ) uː / kor- FEW , -⁠ FOO , US also / ˈ k ɔːr f ( j ) uː / KOR -few, -⁠foo ) or Kerkyra ( Greek : Κέρκυρα , romanized :  Kérkyra , pronounced [ˈcercira] )

5192-407: The island. It outlines the value of butterflies as indicators of the island's biodiversity status and encourages enthusiasts to record their sightings on this website, as participants of the survey. On the 16 December 2021, CBC became a UK registered community interest company (No.13813164) and so its identity changed from being a project to that of an organisation. The earliest reference to Corfu

5280-465: The island. The Ottomans tried to take the city castle and raided the surrounding area, but were repulsed. The Siege of Corfu (1537) was the first great siege by the Ottomans. It began on 29 August 1537, with 25,000 soldiers from the Ottoman fleet landing and pillaging the island and taking 20,000 hostages as slaves . Despite the destruction wrought on the countryside, the city castle held out in spite of repeated attempts over twelve days to take it, and

5368-418: The lagoons and streams of Corfu. The golden jackal was very common till the 1960s, but after persecution it became extinct, with the last individuals observed in the first half of the 1990s. Recent sightings indicate a recolonization effort from the nearby mainland. Wild boars were exterminated after 2000, after farmers complained about crop damage, but at the moment they recolonized Corfu, swimming from

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5456-402: The leadership of Count von der Schulenburg who commanded the defence of the island, were victorious once more. The success was owed in no small part to the extensive fortifications, where Venetian castle engineering had proven itself once again against considerable odds. The repulse of the Ottomans was widely celebrated in Europe, Corfu being seen as a bastion of Western civilization against

5544-628: The leprosarium again saw occasional use. During World War II , the Axis Occupation of Greece established a Nazi concentration camp there for the prisoners of the Greek Resistance movement , while remaining today are the two-storeyed building that served as the Headquarters of the Italian army, a small church, and the wall against which those condemned to death were shot. Corfu has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification : Csa ) featuring hot, dry summers and mild to cool, very rainy winters, which are much wetter than other Greek islands . The highest temperature ever recorded

5632-589: The mainland. Red foxes , beech martens , least weasels , European hares , northern white-breasted hedgehogs are quite widespread, as some of the smaller mammals like the European edible dormouse , the hazel dormouse , the house mouse , the yellow-necked mouse , the western broad-toothed field mouse , the wood mouse , the lesser white-toothed shrew , the etruscan shrew , as well as several species of bats. Coypus , fallow deer , red deer , Indian crested porcupines , Siberian chipmunks and raccoons have been observed recently, but they are escapees and only

5720-423: The many caves. Other points of interest are the Moshopontikas, Xylosermi, Fyki bay (where there is the sunken wreck of Sarah ship). Othonoi was frequently visited by the French naturalist Jacques Cousteau and his exploratory vessel Calypso . The traditional trail was created and used by the first inhabitants and was subsequently reopened by the municipality and private initiatives. Locals and visitors can use

5808-417: The most fortified places in Europe. The fortifications of the island were used by the Venetians to defend against Ottoman intrusion into the Adriatic . In November 1815 Corfu came under British rule following the Napoleonic Wars , and in 1864 was ceded to modern Greece by the British government along with the remaining islands of the United States of the Ionian Islands under the Treaty of London . Corfu

5896-414: The name Drepane probably originated in the sickle-shape of the island. According to a scholiast , commenting on the passage in Argonautica , the island was first of all called Macris after the nurse of Dionysus who fled there from Euboea . Some scholars have asserted that Corfu is Taphos , the island of the Lelegian Taphians. According to Strabo (VI, 269), the Liburnians were masters of

5984-415: The northwest of Corfu . Since the 2019 local government reform it is part of the municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands , of which it is a municipal unit. It is located off the northwestern coast of the island of Corfu , and is almost equidistant from Corfu to the southeast, Mathraki to the southwest, and Othonoi to the west. Its population was 447 in the 2021 census , and its land area

6072-450: The northwest of Corfu, (6 km away) and about 40 km (25 mi) from the Italian coast. The main islands are Othonoi , Ereikoussa and Mathraki . Lazaretto Island , formerly known as St. Dimitrios, is located 1.1 km (0.68 mi) off the coast northeast of the city Corfu . Lazaretto has an area of 7.1 ha (17.5 acres) and comes under the administration of the Greek National Tourist Organization. During Venetian rule in

6160-419: The oligarchic faction to effect a revolution; on each occasion the popular party ultimately won the day and took a most bloody revenge on its opponents (427 BCE and 425 BCE). During the Sicilian campaigns of Athens Corcyra served as a supply base; after a third abortive rising of the oligarchs in 410 BCE it practically withdrew from the war. In 375 BCE it again joined the Athenian alliance; two years later it

6248-430: The region of Epirus . This occurred after the Battle of Nafpaktos in 1571 when the Turkish fleet was destroyed and the islanders began to move more safely. After the last movement, the residents of Othonoi island colonized the two other small islands, Ereikoussa and Mathraki. In 1815, the British conquered Othonoi. With the Treaty signed on March 29, 1864, between the three powers ( United Kingdom , France , Russia ) and

6336-517: The sandy beaches. On land, the Hermann's tortoise is widespread, while the marginated tortoise 's status is unclear. In freshwater wetlands European pond terrapins and Balkan terrapins are common, but the last few years face the competition of the introduced pond slider . Lizard species include typical lizards and geckos like the starred agama , the Mediterranean house gecko , the moorish gecko ,

6424-465: The second half of the 20th century the Veneto da mar was spoken in Corfu. During this time, the local Greek language assimilated a large number of Italian and Venetian words, many of which are still common today. The internationally renowned Venetian-born British photographer Felice Beato (1832–1909) is thought to have spent much of his childhood in Corfu. Also many Italian Jews took refuge in Corfu during

6512-485: The southern section of the island favoured its growth and, influenced perhaps by the presence of non-Corinthian settlers, its people, quite contrary to the usual practice of Corinthian colonies, maintained an independent and even hostile attitude towards the mother city. This opposition came to a head in the early part of the 7th century BCE, when their fleets fought the first naval battle recorded in Greek history: 665 BCE according to Thucydides . These hostilities ended in

6600-422: The space of a century Corfu was the first target and served as a staging area for the Norman invasions of Byzantium . The first Norman occupation from 1081 to 1084 was ended only after the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos secured the aid of the Republic of Venice , in exchange to wide-ranging commercial concessions to Venetian merchants. The admiral George of Antioch captured Corfu again in 1147, and it took

6688-614: The steamer Sardegna , the submarine was rammed by the Italian torpedo boat  Antares . The loss of the submarine was the first loss of the Greek Navy in World War II. A monument to honor the memory of the crew was inaugurated in Othonoi on June 15, 2015. According to legend, the ancient poet Homer referred to Othonoi in The Odyssey as Ogygia , island of the nymph Calypso , who lived in

6776-540: The strength of some old Byzantine castles in Angelokastro , Kassiopi Castle , Gardiki and elsewhere, were additional factors that enabled Corfu to remain free. Will Durant claimed that Corfu owed to the Republic of Venice the fact that it was one of the few parts of Greece never conquered by the Ottomans. A series of attempts by the Ottomans to take the island began in 1431 when Ottoman troops under Ali Bey landed on

6864-547: The time of writing) who share their passion for the butterflies and moths found on the island. It is through this work that more is being discovered about the distribution and abundance of butterflies across the island. Corfu Butterfly Conservation (CBC) was launched in April 2019. The group is composed of concerned residents, island visitors and scientists from throughout Europe. Their goals are to produce robust scientific data that can be used to influence policy and protect habitat for

6952-453: The trail to reach almost every neighborhood and part of the island on foot, as well as Mount Imerovigli (Merovigli), and the highest peak of the island, with a height of over 390 metres (1,280 ft), with views of the other Diapontia Islands , Ionian Sea and Adriatic Sea . The island is almost completely covered by trees which produce a small species of olive , the "Elea the cherry" (Olea microcarpa), commonly Lianolia or ladoelia, with

7040-543: The usufruct of Othonoi, Ereikoussa, Mathraki, Diapolo and Vido , to the knight Theodore Skaliti as fief. In 1537, the Turkish fleet under the command of Hayreddin Barbarossa massacred the inhabitants of Othoni island after a long battle. In Stavros district at an altitude of 217 m. a white stone cross exists until today to commemorate that event. The last settlers of Othonoi apparently came from Paxos and Ioannina , Parga and

7128-525: The way from the southern tip of the island at Lefkimi to Ipsos in Corfu's eastern midsection. These areas were thoroughly pillaged as in past encounters. Nevertheless the city castle stood firm again, a testament to Corfiot-Venetian steadfastness as well as the Venetian castle-building engineering skills. Another castle, Angelokastro , situated on the northwest coast near Palaiokastritsa (Greek: Παλαιοκαστρίτσα meaning Old Castle place ) and located on particularly steep and rocky terrain, also held out. The castle

7216-472: Was "Thoronos" (Θόρονος). Other names were "Fidonisi" (Snake island) because of the many snakes that are said to have invaded the island, and "Fanò" (Lamp) which is used in international charters and by the Italians because of the lighthouse situated on the island. Othoni was called Ogygia or "Calypso island" in many maps of the 17th and 18th centuries. Another Greek name for the island is "Astakonisi" (Αστακονήσι);

7304-500: Was "an important staging post for travels between East and West". Indeed, the medieval name of Corfu first appears (Latinized Coryphus ) in Liutprand of Cremona 's account of his 968 embassy to the Byzantine court. Corfu enjoyed relative peace and safety during the Macedonian dynasty (867–1054), which allowed the construction of a monumental church to Saints Iason and Sosipatrus outside the city wall of Palaiopolis. Nevertheless, in 933,

7392-469: Was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List , following a recommendation by ICOMOS . The 1994 European Union summit was held in Corfu. The island is a popular tourist destination. The Greek name, Kerkyra or Korkyra , is related to two powerful water deities: Poseidon , god of the sea, and Asopos , an important Greek mainland river. According to myth, Poseidon fell in love with

7480-464: Was again involved in a quarrel with Corinth over the control of Epidamnus , and sought assistance from Athens (see Battle of Sybota ). This new alliance was one of the chief immediate causes of the Peloponnesian War , in which Corcyra was of considerable use to the Athenians as a naval station, but did not render much assistance with its fleet. The island was nearly lost to Athens by two attempts of

7568-525: Was attacked and conquered by Agathocles of Syracuse . He offered Corfu as dowry to his daughter Lanassa on her marriage to Pyrrhus , King of Epirus . The island then became a member of the Epirotic alliance. It was then perhaps that the settlement of Cassiope was founded to serve as a base for the King of Epirus' expeditions. The island remained in the Epirotic alliance until 255 BCE when it became independent after

7656-511: Was besieged by a Spartan force, but in spite of the devastation of its flourishing countryside held out successfully until relieved. In the Hellenistic period Corcyra was exposed to attack from several sides. In 303 BCE, after a vain siege by Cassander , the island was occupied for a short time by the Lacedaemonian general Cleonymus of Sparta , then regained its independence and later it

7744-545: Was one of the three great naval powers of fifth century BCE Greece, along with Athens and Corinth . Ruins of ancient Greek temples and other archaeological sites of the ancient city of Korkyra are located 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 enclose its capital, which

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