The ancient city of Corfu was built during the 8th century BC and it stood south of where today’s city is placed, between Garitsa bay and the lake Chaliopoulou. The center of the ancient city stood where Palaiopoli is today, up to the cannon. The market must have been opposite the palace of Mon Repo and it is believed that in the place of Analipsis, stood the Acropolis. The most important monuments are the following:

Palace of Saint Michael and George
As it has been mentioned earlier, the English domination also had positive effects, like the development of the economy, the education and the arts. Around this time, an impressive building of Georgian style was built. This was the residence of the High Commissioner.
The palace on the outside is decorated with themes of the Ionian Islands which are carved in relief, while on the inside there is a central hall with two rows of steles of Ionian order and painted themes of Odyssey. A magnificent staircase leads to the first floor, which is decorated with steles of Corinthian order. The first floor also has three main rooms: the ballroom, the throne-room and the symposium-room.

The Ancient fortress
During its turbulent history Corfu needed to entrench it self against its conquerors. In the beginning of the 8th century BC the Byzantines built the first walls and the first moat, the “Contra Fosa”, which separates the fortress from the city. In the 16th century, the Venetians, fearing a Turkish attack, extended the bulwark and the moat, creating a second and a third line of defense. The bare rocks around the hills made the fortress impenetrable, which is a masterpiece of architectural art. While on the other hand, it offers the visitor an incredible view to the city, the sea ford up across the land and the hills of Epirus. Worth visiting inside the fortress is the chapel of Saint George, which was built by the British in 1840.

The new fortress
Over the old harbor stands the new fortress, which was built in 1570 by the Venetians. It is characteristic that for its construction they needed to tear down 2.000 houses and churches as well as Porta Reale, one of the most magnificent gates of the city. A great part of it was destroyed after an order given by the Great Forces during World War II. Today it is used by the Navy.


The Saint Spiridon
It is the most famous religious monument of the city with obvious influences by the Italian art, which is met in all the Ionian islands. It is dedicated to Saint Spiridon, who is the Saint of Corfu, and according to the legends he saved the inhabitants of Corfu, in the past, from epidemics and he appeared twice as a monk, helping them against Turks in 1673 and in 1716. The temple’s roof is impressive. It is separated in 17 parts and it portrays scenes taken by Saint Spiridon’s life and the Evangelists. His relics is kept in a silver casket of the 19th century.

Town hall
The building that was being built for 30 years, from 1663 it had been the “loggia nobili”. Later it became a theatre, which got the name San Giacomo. In this theatre Operas had been played and the director manager had been Mantzaros. The building was turned into a townhall in the begining of the 20th century and it is the only building with ashlar-work.

Achillion
Less than 10 miles from the city you come across the magnificent palace of the Queen of Austria Elizabeth, Achillion. The loved Queen - whose life became a movie- gave preference to Corfu over all the other islands of the Ionian Sea, during her cruise in the Mediterranean islands, when she wanted to overcome her personal problems.In the first floor there are the rooms of Elisabeth and in the second floor there are the rooms of Frank Jozef and of the archduchess Maria Valeria. In the balcony of this floor there is a peristyle of Ionian order which is decorated by the heads of philosophers and the statues of the nine mouses. Wonderful statues decorate the gardens of the palace, like the ‘dying Achilles’, the’ Satyre with Dionysus on his shoulder’, the’ Lord Byron’, an impressive statue of Achilles of 11,5m height and many more. Until a few years ago, the palace was used as a casino. Now the palace is used as a museum.

Enlarge :: Download
Artwork: R. Theodorou

    ICIL Program

Updated: 27/06/2012
Details in Program [.v10]
ICIL 2012

A Piano Recital for the 5th ICIL 2012
“The teachings of Victor Karpovich or how to approach Clara”
Presenting works by Fineberg, Brahms, Schumann
by Lambis Vassiliadis

Saturday 30 June, 2012
21.00, Ionian Academy

ICIL 2012 participants may enter the recital free. Because the recital is organized for charity, for the benefit and support of disadvantaged students, we recommend an entirely voluntary contribution of 10 euros.

Lambis Vassiliadis is one of the most distinguished pianists of the younger generation.
He has travelled and played all over the world and has received the most positive reviews.
Vassiliadis is an Associate Professor of the Ionian University, Musical Studies Department.
For more information, see www.lambis.vassiliadis.org.

A distinguished Greek pianist of the younger generation, Mr. Lambis Vassiliadis represents an impressive style of explosive pianism and artistic sensibility.
Privileged to study near to pianists like Yalta Menouhin, Victor Merzhanov, Jerome Rose and James Tocco, he managed to obtain five academic titles from Universities and Music Academies around the world (Greece- Germany- England- USA)-all with distinctions and honors. He also holds a degree in Philosophy by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Mr. Vassiliadis has worked for the University of Cincinnati, in the United States, as assistant professor at the studio of James Tocco; he has been Juror of the OMTA (Ohio Music Teachers Association) competition, of the International Music Competition of Thessaloniki, Juror of the Dorothy Price Awards Competition - Mannes College of Music, New York, of the Yamaha Competition Athens and of the Emil Gilels Competiton in Odessa, Ukraine.

Mr. Vassiliadis won 11 awards in international and national piano competitions and managed to attract the attention of the international press as a recording artist, (since 1993 by Koch-Discover International) for his pianistical skill and serious musical thinking. In April 1997, his CD with works by Bartok, Scriabin, Poulenc Szymanowski is rated with four stars by BBC Music Magazine and in September 1997, and his Schumann -Brahms recording is praised by Charles Timbrell in Fanfare Music Magazine. Recently the “Listener Magazine” reviewed enthusiastically Mr. Vassiliadis recordings confirming the “emergence of a major virtuoso performer” (P. Meanor, winter edition 1999). The first world wide recording of the Piano Sonatas by Allen Sapp was commented by the American Record Guide as one of the best recordings of 2001. Finally the Gramophone Magazine, includes Vassiliadis recording of the Brahms – Paganini Variations among the “selected discography of the 20th century” ( B. Morrison, March 2003).
Other CD’s (by Aardvark Media) include a Chopin Album, a Tchaikovsky Album, orchestra repertoire with the Chamber Music Orchestra of Tuebingen ( Germany) and the Fairbanks Symphony ( USA) , an all Liszt-Mozart transcriptions and two recordings with works of Mendellsohn, Brahms and Schumann with the Ionian Piano Quartet (Amicme Classical).

Mr. Vassiliadis appeared in solo concerts, radio and television broadcasts in Greece, as well as in many other countries (Germany, USA, South Africa, Italy, England, France); he also appeared with orchestras (Kammerphilarmonie Prague, National Symphony Prague, Bangok Symphony, State Orchestra of Thessaloniki, Orchestra of Colours, Athens, etc.) with a variety of repertoire including works like the 2nd Tchaikovsky concerto or Liszt’s Malediction.

Mr. Vassiliadis has received a position as the director of the Synchrono Conservatory in 1998, where he was teaching piano for the late four years. He has also been active as the artistic director of the «Vertiskos» Summer Courses and the Coordinator of the Piano Studies in the Conservatory of East Macedonia in Kavala-Greece.
Since November 2002, he is appointed Assistant Professor for Piano in the Ionian University, Department of Music, in Corfu, Greece. In year 2005 was appointed Representative of the International Relationships of the Department. He holds the Artistic Coordination of the International Summer Academy and Festival of Corfu, as well as the coordination of the International Music Days in Brache ( Schleswig Holstein, Germany) and the “Deutsch- Griechisch Musik Tage” in Solingen, Germany.
Lambis can be contacted at lambisv@yahoo.com.

See Also

4rd International Conference
on Information Law