Corfu Old Town — Uncover Saint Spyridon's Hidden Miracles

Your quest begins on the Spianada (Esplanade), this rectangular square measuring 400m x 100m, created by the Venetians between 1570 and 1640 after the destruction of the ramparts to serve as a safety zone. From here, since the 17th century, the annual processions of the relics of Saint Spyridon depart on August 11, an event that deeply roots the figure of the saint in the heritage of the Ionian Islands. The statue of Lord Frederick Adam, erected in 1843, dominates this space, testifying to the post-Venetian British influence on Corfu and its history.

A few steps away, the Saint Spyridon Church, built between 1580 and 1590 in a Venetian style with a central dome, houses the incorruptible relics of the saint, transferred from Constantinople after 1453 and deposited here around 1590. This place is the heart of miracle stories, such as the saint's appearance with a sword during the Turkish siege of 1716, which supposedly led to the abandonment of 120 cannons by the Turks, a crucial event for the defense of Corfu. Local archives also report the saint's intercession to stop the plague epidemic in 1630, a fact that reinforces his status as protector of the city.

Your journey then takes you to the Old Fortress (Palaio Frourio), built by the Venetians from 1400 on a Byzantine site. Its 700m perimeter walls still bear plague claw marks, attributed to the expulsion of the epidemic in 1673 by Saint Spyridon. It was near this fortress that the Turks camped during the 1716 siege, before being repelled after the saint's miracle on August 11. The Anemomylos, the 17th-century Venetian windmills visible on the northern rampart, complete this picture of defensive Corfu, used until the 19th century to grind grain.

Continue towards Corfu Town Hall, built between 1691 and 1697 by the Venetians on the site of an ancient temple of Athena. This baroque architectural building served as the seat of the Venetian governor in the 18th century, reinforcing administrative power near Saint Spyridon Church. Not far is St. John's Baptist Church, a 16th-century Orthodox church whose interior is adorned with 17th-century Venetian icons, illustrating the fusion of cultural influences that characterizes Corfu's heritage.

By exploring these sites, you piece together the puzzle of Saint Spyridon's miracles and influence on Corfu and the Ionian Islands. From the Spianada to the Old Fortress, passing by the Town Hall, each stone tells a part of Corfu's history, between faith, defense, and Venetian heritage. This thematic circuit is an immersion into the resilience and spirituality of this city, a unique journey to understand why Corfu has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007, a treasure of Greek heritage.