Gulet Charter Corfu

Kerkyra was named after a woman. Mythology has it that when Poseidon fell in love with Korkyra, Aesopos’ daughter, he retreated with her to this island and named it after her. Faiakas, the boy born to them, established the Kingdom of the Faiakes which, according to Homer, was Odysseus’ last stop before his return to Ithaca. Kerkyra is known abroad as Corfu because of the island’s two acropolises [perched on two hilltops (corfés in Greek)] within the city of Kerkyra. Its other ancient name was Drepanon (scythe) due to the island’s shape.

Corfu determines Greece’s sea borders with neighbouring Italy and Albania. It is therefore its strategic position that has made her the bone of contention among conquerors whose presence on the island stamped its culture, tradition, and customs. Venetian, French, and British rule left behind strong elements of western culture which eventually blended with the island’s Greek identity. In 1864, Corfu became part of Greece. The island’s contribution to education, literature, the arts, and politics has been enormous. It is the birthplace of Ioannis Kapodistrias, modern Greece’s first governor; scholars Andreas Moustoxydis and Iakovos Polylas; composer Nikolaos Mantzaros who set the Greek National Anthem to music; Spyros Samaras who set the Olympic Anthem to music; and the Theotokis Family numbering eminent politicians and writers amongst its members. In 1824, the Ionian Academy, Greece’s first university was founded on the island followed by the first Greek philharmonic band in 1840. No wonder that, today, there are 20 philharmonic bands in Corfu.