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CORFU TRAVEL AND HOLIDAY GUIDE

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SIGHTSEEINGS AND ATTRACTIONS

ACHILLIO PALACE
Located in Gastouri village 10 km from Corfu Town.
This luxurious villa was built for the Empress of Austria, Elisabeth von Wiltelsbach (more familiarly known as Princes Sissy), by the Italian architect Raffaele Carito in 1892.
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 ....
For more infos and for pictures click here

KANONI
World famous Kanoni is situated south of the Palaiopoli peninsula. It was named Kanoni after the battery of artillery established by French in 1798. One of the battery's cannons still stands at the tourist kiosk. In front of Kanoni is the Monastery of Vlaherna, linked to the mainland by a cement dock and built in the 17th century ....
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THE CHURCH OF AGIOS SPYRIDONAS
The church of Agios Spyridonas is dedicated to the patron saint of the island of Corfu. It was built in 1589, in order to replace the older church of Sorokos which was demolished because of the construction of the walls of the town. Saint Spyridonas took part in the Ecumenical Synod A', which took place in Nice (325 AD). On the exterior of the church there is a tall, castellated bell-tower with a clock which resembles the one of the church of Agios Georgios in Venice. Inside the church there is a temple which the architect M. Mawers made of Kararas and Paros in marble. The painter Spyros Prosalentis made the icons on the temple of the church. The most valuable treasure of the church is the golden shrine made in Venice in which Saint Spyridonas's remains are kept. At first these remains were kept in Constantinople, but after its fall, they were transferred to the island of Corfu.
The wonderful icons on the dome have golden frames, they are divided into 17 pieces, and they represent, among other things, the life of Saint Spyridonas. The icons were first made by the hagiographer Panagiotis Doxaras in 1727, but because of their decay from moisture, they were replaced by Nikolaos Aspiotis's copies in 1850-1870. On December 12th, there is a feast in honour of the saint. The litanies of Agios Spyridonas are also famous, as they have been performed here since the Venetian years, and they are connected with the history of the island.

AGGELOKASTRO
The byzantine fortress known as Aggelokastro (Castle of Angels) is situated near the Krini, opposite Palaiokastritsa, at an altitude of 330 m. It was built in the 13th century by Michael Angelo B' the son of Epirus's archbishop Michael Angelo Á'. Tradition says that the founder was looking for the most dangerous and the steepest rock to build upon it an impregnable fortress.
Thus, he came across the area of Aggelokastro where there stood a fortress, courtesy of the archbishop of Epirus. The forts' purpose was to protect the inhabitants from the pirates of Africa and the Venetians. For a while it served as the island's capital as the governor lived there. In 1403, from the castle, they fought successfully against the pirates of Genoa. The castle's entrance is an arched gate, but inside there are only ruins of the chambers and the storage rooms. In a dark cave, there is a church dedicated to the archangels Michael and Gabriel where one can admire a remarkable fresco of the Virgin Mary.

FOLK DANCES
The people of Corfu adore dancing and music. The local dances are cheerful, with small jumps and intense rhythm resulting from the influence of the West and the mainland. The most popular dances today are "Tsakonikos" and "Kalamatianos" variations of the authentic Peloponnesian dances, "Agios Georgios" and "Gastouriotikos".
Most of the dances are danced in pairs with the accompaniment of a violin, a guitar and an acordeon. The first samples of local music were heard the first dramatic performances by Italian and the local theatrical companies, during the Venetian Rule. Corfiot's favourite music is "Kandathes" which, with the accompaniment of a guitar and a mandoline, are still sung- though not as often as in the old days- in the narrow alleys of Corfu.

CORFU TRAVEL AND HOLIDAY GUIDE - CorfuToday.com