Corfu tradition believes that the island and its people are protected by St. Spyridon. Born in Cyprus, St. Spyridon had no connection to Corfu until 1453 when Constantinople fell to the Turks. When that happened, many of the Christian and Orthodox treasures, including the relics of saints were removed to keep them safe.
At the time, Corfu was held by the Venetians who were welcoming of religious freedom and Corfu had demonstrated that it was safer than mainland Greece. Many relics, including the body of St. Spyridon were sent to Corfu.
When the Turks laid siege in 1716, many prayed to St. Spyridon to save them. When the seas storm greatly damaged the Turkish fleet, the people of Corfu believed that St. Spyridon sent the storm and was their protector, so he became the patron saint of Corfu.
The St. Spyridon Church Bell Tower, the highest structure in the city, is at the center of the photo below.
The city streets are medieval in design and very narrow. The entire old city is for pedestrians only.
The town hall, below, was once a theater, but it was too small and another was built in it place. It was built in 1663 and at the front, there are four flags that hang above the entry. The national flag of Greece, the European Union flag, the UNESCO flag (because the area is designated as a world heritage site and is protected) all hang together. The fourth flag is the flag of Corfu which contains a gold ship that represents the ship of Odysseus and is a nod to their traditions and beliefs.
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