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3000 BCE
Mythic Past-Epic Tradition
Scheria, Corkyra, Kerkyra, Pheakia, Drepani, Korifo are some names that were attributed to today's Corfu.
In Scheria Homer places the penultimate station of Odysseus' return to Ithaca. Coming from Oygia (Sicily?), he met the princess Nafsika, who hosted him in her palace. Her father, King Alkinoos, offered him the boat to take him to Ithaca. -
1200 BCE
Phaeacians
The first residents in the 12th century BC were the Phaeacians, the first founder was Phaeaks, grandfather of the Homeric king Alkinoos. In this point mythology gets muddled with history, and we do not know the exact origin of the Phaecians.
Later more immigrants came from Illyria, Sicily, Crete, Mycenae and the Aegean islands -
775 BCE
Eretrians
The first Greek settlers came from Eretria in Euboea, around 775-750 BC. The Greek name of Kerkyra came from a mythological Nymph called Corcyra, a daughter of the river god Asopos. Corcyra was kidnapped by the god of the sea Poseidon who brought her here and gave her name to the island.
Corcyra became Kerkyra later in the Doric dialect. -
Period: 775 BCE to 733 BCE
Eretrians
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733 BCE
Corinthians - The Archaike Era
The needs of trade, the political problems of the powerful Greek cities and the lack of space lead the Greek world to establish colonies on the coasts of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. First the islands around Greece were colonized, for example the first colony in the Adriatic was Corcyra (Corfu), founded by Corinth in 733 BC -
Period: 733 BCE to 435 BCE
Corinthians
The first colony in the Adriatic was Corcyra (Corfu), founded by Corinth in 733 BC -
435 BCE
Corfu as an Athenian Ally
The fast-growing colony quickly gained strength and openly challenged the metropolis of Corinth. The Corinthians sent their fleet to occupy the island of Corfu and regain control of this strategic region and especially the colony of Epidamqnus. The Corfiot issue, as ancient historical Thucydides writes, was one of the causes of the thirty-year long civil Peloponnesian War that eventually weakened and broke Greece. -
Period: 435 BCE to 229 BCE
Athenian ally
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400 BCE
Hellenistic Era
In the 4th century BC Corcyra became more involved in regional politics, helping the Athenians in their attempts to block Macedonia from operating in the Adriatic. -
229 BCE
Short Illyrian Occupation
The Illyrians conquered the island in 229 BC -
229 BCE
Roman Era
The Romans conquered the island later in 229 BC.Romans gave autonomy to the Corfiots provided that they would be allowed to use the island as a naval base. Corfu followed the fate of all other Greek city-states, they accepted the sovereignty and protection of Rome from the various invaders of that era. -
Period: 229 BCE to 395
Roman Era
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80
Arrival of Christianity
During first century AD. Christianity arrived, brought by the two disciples of St Paul, Jason and Sosipatros -
337
Split of the Roman Empire
After the death of emperor Constantine at 337AD the Roman empire divided into three sections- the north (Spain, France, England), east (Konstantinople and Asia Minor) and the west, which included Greece, Italy and Rome’s African territories. Corfu then was included in the so called west empire. -
395
Early Byzantine Period
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395
Final split of the Roman Empire
After the death of emperor Theodosius the Roman empire was re-divided into east and west, Corfu then belonged to the east empire. -
Period: 395 to 562
Early Byzantine Period
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455
Raid of the Vandals
Corfu suffered barbarian raids repeatedly, such as the one in 455 A.D. when the Vandals of Genseric laid waste to the island. -
562
Byzantine Period
The destruction of the ancient city, marks the beginning of the medieval city and the main Byzantine period. -
562
Attack of the Goths
Corfu was attacked at 562 AD by the Goths, who destroyed the ancient city of Corfu, leaving the ruins that today are called ‘’Paleopolis’’. This was the end of the ancient City and the beginning of medieval age for the island. The inhabitants abandoned the old city and moved to the natural cape which later became the old fortress. From there the new city slowly expanded to the area where it is today. -
Period: 562 to 1204
Byzantine Period
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650
Saracene Occupation
In the second half of the 7th century A.D. Saracens seized Corfu, ravaged it and then used it as a base of operations. -
733
Byzantine rule
In 733 A.D. the Byzantines expelled the Saracens, signaling the start of a new era for Corfu, under Byzantine Orthodox rule. -
1081
Short Norman Occupation
In 1081 the Normans under the leadership of Robert Guiscaud besieged and captured the island. Their rule did not last long, however, since the Byzantines, with the help of Venice, beat them in a naval battle and again took possession -
1204
First Venetian Occupation
When knights of the Fourth Crusade seized Constantinople, Corfu fell into Venetian hands until 1214. -
Period: 1204 to 1214
First Venetian Occupation
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1214
Part of the Despotate of Epirus
In 1214 Corfu became part of the Despotate of Epirus, at that time one of three independent Byzantine states. -
Period: 1214 to 1259
Despotate of Epirus period
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1259
Sicilian Rulers
From 1259 to 1267 various Sicilian rulers attempted to claim Corfu.
The first who conquered the island was Manfred, king of Sicily, and when he was killed, Philip Ginardo took over. When Philip Ginardo was murdered, the island passed into the hands of his generals, the Garnerio brothers and Thomas Alamano, to mention here that the surname Alamanos is widespread today in Corfu, apparently of Sicilian origin. -
Period: 1259 to 1267
Sicilian Rulers
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1267
House of Anjou
At 1267 the Angevin King of Sicily Charles of the house of Anjou, conquered the island. That was the era when large numbers of Jewish people, mainly from Spain, settled in Corfu and created the Corfiot Jewish community. Charles of Anjou attempted to erase the Orthodox Christian faith by changing all Orthodox churches into Roman Catholic. This attempt stopped later when the Venetians returned to the island. -
Period: 1267 to 1386
House of Anjou
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1386
The Venetian Occupation
The Council of Corfu were friendly with the Venetians.
They didn’t expect protection from the collapsing Byzantine Empire, and because of the Turkish threat, at 1386 AD they asked for the protection of the Republic of Saint Mark. Venetians knew that Corfu was a key strategic location to guard their naval interests therefore they bought the island from the kingdom of Naples, paying an amount of 30,000 gold ducats. -
Period: 1386 to
The Venetian Occupation
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1537
Turkish invasion in the countryside
Despite the Venetian effort to protect the city of Corfu, the island suffered from pirate attacks and Turkish raids. In 1537 AD the Turks invaded and seized 20.000 men from the countryside to sell as slaves. -
1571
Loss of Peloponnese, Crete and Cyprus
Following the raids of 1537 Corfu was almost deserted. In 1571 the Venetians lost Peloponnese, Crete and Cyprus by the Turks.This created an large wave of refugees to the Ionian Islands. The Venetians encouraged this migration stream in order to revive the dead countryside, and also to strengthen Venice with people with great spiritual, military, technical and economic potential. -
The Turkish Siege
The 1716 siege of Corfu was part of the 7th Venetian-Turkish war. This was the last of many Turkish attempts to expand their empire into Europe. -
First French Occupation
The Venetian period was followed by the first French occupation in 1797.
It was the end of the feudal system, and the people burnt the book of Gold (libro d’oro) where all Aristocrats were listed. -
Period: to
First French Occupation
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The Ionian State
Followed by a period of instability, people were divided, the Nobles began to exploit the popular discontent against the French, and began to plot for the occupation of Corfu by the Russians.
They finally succeeded in 1799 when a strange alliance of Russians and Turks occupied Corfu. This state remained until 1807 when the French under Napoleon returned -
Period: to
The Ionian State
This state remained until 1807 when the French under Napoleon returned -
Second French Occupation
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Period: to
Second French occupation
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British limit Jews' rights
The British seized Corfu in 1814, limiting some of the Jews' privileges -
United States of Ionian Islands
In 1815 Corfu went under British rule, the seven Ionian island state declared its independence under British protection. Greek was the official language and Corfu town the capital. During the British rule, many immigrants came from the island of Malta, the original home of many, mainly Roman Catholic, Corfiots -
Period: to
United States of the Ionian Islands
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Greek state restore Jews' rights
The State granted them equal rights to the rest of the population -
Union with Greece
On 21 May 1864 after the London treaty and the positive vote of Ionian parliament, Corfu and all Ionian islands united with Greece.
It was one of the most important turning points in the history of Corfu -
Favourite Destination
From the early years of the century up until the Second World War, Corfu had rivalled Capri and Mallorca as the favourite Mediterranean destination of the European elite. -
Short Italian occupation
In 1923 Italian forces bombarded and held Corfu briefly, following the murder of an Italian boundary delegation. -
Period: to
World War II
In World War II the city was again bombed by the Italians and occupied in succession (1941–44) by Italians and Germans. Many of its buildings and other landmarks were destroyed in the fighting of 1943.
The island was restored to Greece in 1944. -
Holocaust
When the island was occupied by the Germans in 1944, an ordinance told all the Jews to remain in their homes.
About two hundred Jews succeeded to flee. The following day, the Germans arrested all the others and deported them to Auschwitz. The Nazis and the mob looted their homes and shops. Out of 1900 Jews of Corfu, about 180 survived the Holocaust. -
Post-war Jewish community
In 1946 the Community had 140 members; the Synagogue and the school were almost ruined. As time passed the Community reformed and resumed normal life. Today it is composed of 65 members who continue their course -
Corfu escaped the earthquake
The island escaped the great earthquake of 1953, which destroyed large parts of the southern Ionian Islands -
Mass Tourism
Corfu starts becoming a very popular tourism destination. -
UNESCO
The Old Town of Kerkyra was named a UNESCO World Heritage site
