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Corfu Museums

C Corfu's rich historical and cultural heritage is the cause of the many museums in Corfu which offer a wide variety of exhibits from Neolithic times to the present, also cultural museums dedicated to the rich intellectual life of the Ionian Islands, an example is the Corfu`s Reading Society.

Corfu archaeological museum

Archaeological museum is located in Garitsa near the seaside boulevard in the street of Armeni Braila 1.
Built in the 60s under the standards followed then for buildings intended to be Museums and started its operation at September of 1967.
Its the larger of Corfu museums, a two floor building with a courtyard garden and a balcony at the south and east side of the first floor. The vast bulk of the exhibits are located on the first floor which comprises by four rooms and a hallway.
The largest western hall along with other artifacts from ancient temples of Palaiopolis is the pediment of the Temple of Artemis in 580 b.c with gigantic dimensions, 17 meters width and 3 meters height and its central theme is the mythical monstrous Gorgon.
Major exhibits are the archaic funerary lion of Menekratis (late 7th century bc) found in the circular cenotaph of Menekratis, the left side of an archaic pediment (the pediment of Dionysus 500 BC) with dimensions of 2.73 meters long and about 1 meter in height that was found in Figareto and depicts of a Dionysiac banquet scene, the bronze statuette of a young "komastos" (570 BC) who runs and on his left hand holds a "rhyton", the head of a kouros of 6th century b.c which was found in excavations of Paleopolis in Mon Repos, a clay statuette of Artemis (490 BC) found in Kanoni, the kouros of Corfu (530 BC) from Parian marble headstone and the Arniada (630-600 BC) found in the ancient cemetery near Garitsa.
In the museum there are finds of Palaeolithic and Early Bronze Age as well as recent articles of the Hellenistic and Roman period. if someone wants to visit both the Museum, the Old Fortress, the Temple of Antivouniotissa and the Asian Art Museum can purchase a ticket for all with 8 €, ie minus 4 €
The Museum is located at Armeni Braila 1 street and the phone is: 26610 30680

Museum of Asian art

A museum dedicated to Asian art, it is housed in the Palace of St. Michael and St. George.
Hosts the rich collection of Corfiot diplomat Grigorios Manos consisting of 10,000 objects, the collection of the former ambassador Nikos Chatzivasileiou with approximately 200 objects and some smaller collections of diplomats Nikos Sinioglou and Pavlos Almanachos.
Among the exhibits are: bronze vases of China of the time of Chinese entry in historical times, the pottery of the Cheo era, figurines since the Han dynasty, pottery tomb figurines from the time of the Tang Dynasty, a bronze statue of Buddha since the Sung dynasty, small statues, vases and jars from the golden era of the Ming Dynasty, several miniatures from semi-precious stones, arms and armor samurai divisions, drama masks of theater No, Indian wooden objects with love scenes, etc.

Byzantine Museum of Corfu

Housed in the church of Panagia Antivouniotissa in Kampielo at Mouragia and includes sculptures of Christian architecture, parts of mosaic floors, frescoes and Byzantine icons from the 16th to the 18th century from various churches on the island.

Museum of Banknotes

This unique museum has been operating since 1981 and is housed in the Neoclassical building of the Ionian Bank in the Square of heros known as the Plakada of Saint Spiridon, there was the first ever Greek bank in 1839, when Corfu and other Ionian Islands were still constituted the Ionian state.
Along with the exhibits it shows the history and method of production.
This is the only museum of its kind operating in Greece and one of the few in the world, it contains a remarkable collection of rare coins, dies print photos and artwork.
Remarkably, it shows all stages of production notes, starting from the initial design and production of paper as a way of destruction at old kilns.
Among them: the notes issued by the Ionian Bank from 1839 until 1920. Also, the first notes that were released in liberated Greece in 1831 during the government of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first notes released by the National Bank of Greece in 1840.
It is worth seeing and collecting notes from the post-war period from various countries and the Chinese note dating from 1300 which is one of the oldest surviving in the world.
The phone of the Museum is: 26610 41552

Solomos Museum

This is the home of our National poet Dionisios Solomos in the third end of Arseniou street at Mouragia which turned into a museum, is the place where the Poet lived for 30 years and inspired his poems.
It presents furniture, personal items, photographs and historical material from his life.

Museum of Ioannis Kapodistrias

A museum in honor to the first governor of Greece and a large child of Corfu, Ioannis Kapodistrias, was missing from Corfu.
This large gap was filled in 1981 with the establishment of the Centre of Kapodistrian Studies - Museum of Kapodistrias.
The museum is located near the village of Evropouli, 3 km from Corfu town, in a place called Koukouritsa, housed in an estate owned by Kapodistrias family and donated by a descendent of Kapodistrias and former mayor of Corfu from 1956 to 1959 Mary Desylla - Kapodistrias. The exhibits are personal belongings of the governor, furnishings of that period and other personal things.
The address is: Centre of Kapodistrian Studies, POBox 49100 Eyropouloi - Corfu
and phones are: +30 26610 39528 or +30 26 610 32 440

Municipal library

Contains some of the greatest works of painters from Eptanese of the 19th century, also engravings and sculptures.
Originally housed in a building of Dalietos legacies, today is housed in the palace of Saint Michael and Saint George.

Corfu Reading Society

Founded in 1836 at the time of English domination, and now housed in a building of 19th century opposite and behind the Palace of St. Michael and St. George at Kapodistriou Street number 120 in Mouragia.
It is the oldest spiritual institution in modern Greece and prominent members of it were the most famous Personalities of culture, art and politics of Ionian isles, personalities as the Bishop of the Union Athanasios Politis, Angelos Kogevinas, Viaros and Augustinos Capodistrias, the National poet Dionysios Solomos, the poets Andreas Kalvos and G. Markoras, politician George Theotokis, Iakovos Polylas, Spyros Samaras the composer of the Olympic anthem, Nicholas Tomazaios, Nicholas Mantzaros composer of our national anthem, Lorenzo Mavilis Secretary of the Company until his heroic death in Driskos, Angelos Giallinas, Dinos Theotokis, the Bishop of Corfu and later Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras and many others.
it has more than 10, 000 volumes of Ionian literature as well as rich general library.
Very often presentations of paint collections and prints are happened, also old maps, photographs, magazines and newspapers are presented.
It has rich active in art exhibitions, maintains cooperation at scientific level with Greek and foreign universities. At its rooms conferences are organized, lectures, seminars and musical events.
It is open to visitors every day except Sundays from 9:00 in the morning until 2.00 pm, the telephone number is: 26610 44165