Corfu Greece & its Old Fortress

 #OldFortressCorfu

The Old Fortress of Corfu was constructed on a rocky peninsula as the Byzantines and later the Andeans (1267-1386) had built up the walls, plus towers to protect themselves from the barbaric
raids during these times
This is where the Byzantine City of Koryfo (where Corfus name came from) was
planned plus erected 

KeyTip;
 At a cost of 6 Euro for adults (children are free) it is well worth it, as you have accessibility to most of the structures within the forts grounds and is well preserved as you will see in my photos

During the Venetian Occupation
 (1386-1797) the City of Corfu had a strategic and commercial importance 

Because of This
 The Old Fortress was upgraded to withstand the attacks from the Ottomans with one of the defense mechanisms biggest improvements, the construction of the moat.
It was done to withstand the introduction of heavy artillery that was always evolving during these times

Sanatorium
In the background is the British Hospital that was constructed during its occupation of Corfu which some believe is now one of the most haunted buildings in Greece

Good Beginnings
As i do my research of its history one can read it has had a dark past, but starting with the positive;
 During the British rule it served its purpose of treating the
 sick and injured

Grim History
But during the Italian raid in 1923 (with its fleet) it occupied the island, then took over the hospital where a large number of refugees went missing so their fate remained a mystery, so slightly dark

Place of Healing
Back to positive times; the hospital was active again helping wounded British and Allied soldiers until 1940 when the British offered the use of the hospital back to the Greek Army

War Crimes
Then in 1941 when Corfu surrendered to the Italians the history changes to the dark; the hospital grounds and rooms where used as execution plus torture chambers 
Then followed the German military (who used it as the Italians did) for their acts of atrocities

Greece
Finally the hospital was returned to the Greek Army after the
Second World War

The Clock Tower
It was built when the Old Fortress was under British rule.
 It was constructed in the neoclassical architecture style with hand carved Maltese limestone, coated bricks and Tuscan columns.

Not Open But Information
 It has a wooden staircase leading to the clock mechanisms with a hatch to the bells, one was constructed in 1732 with the name etched Giovanni Bonardi Bresann and the other two made in 1827 by a British foundry T. Mears of London

Military Stronghold
Because of the location with access to the sea with full control of the nearby shores and with the high fortifications, it made it impossible for any raiders to get any advantage during an attack

The Old Fortress
It is also known as Fortetsa or Saint Nicolas Fortress

Construction Timeline
The fortifications of The Old Fortress were constructed over a period of about 15 centuries in which during the late Venetian period the Spianada Square was built

Weed Control
Every rainy winter, conservation teams manually clear invasive plants and roots from the ancient stonework to prevent structural cracks

The Lighthouse
 It was built by the British in 1822 for the purpose to guide shipping (as usual) into its navy base
But now its a great vantage point for views and photography,
but only if you dare try the steep incline of stairs 😀

KeyTip
 The structure itself is closed 

 Island of Corfu
 It was never part of the Ottoman Empire (in which most of Greece was at some point) because
 of the Old / New Fortresses
 Even though they unsuccessfully tried three times in 1537, 1571 and 1716

Greek Construction Methods
Nature can begin to reclaim a structure in a few years with significant vegetation taking over in two decades, but complete disappearance would take centuries
 Especially in ancient Greece because of their use of certain building materials like limestone and marble, the timeline could last a millennia

Creative Sector
The Fortress now houses the Public Library of Corfu, The Hellenic Music Research Lab from the Ionian University plus the grounds are used for various types of
art and culture events

Tragedy
Back in 1718 lightning struck a storehouse filled with gun powder on the Old Fortress that killed hundreds of people, which is still considered the largest catastrophe in the history of Corfu

Contrafossa
The Old Fortress is separated from Corfu town by this artificial ditch, which now (as you can see) 
is a shelter for small boats
It also turned the fortress into an island,
 as the Venetians carved out the moat which connected the two bays onto the open sea

007 Film
For all you movie buffs; The James Bond flick For Your Eyes Only (1981) had 90%  filmed on Corfu With the one iconic scene where Bond pushes the Mercedes off the cliff from the Old Fortress

Local History
As i leave the Old Fortress and looking back from the streets of Corfu
 I marvel on how many nations (Byzantines, Venetians, French, Russians, English, Greeks, Italians plus Germans) left their imprint in the making of this magnificent structure for all of us to enjoy in
these modern times