St. Spiridon (1589)
The holiest and most famous church on the island, it houses the
relics of the Patron Saint of the town. A wooden-roofed single-nave
basilica, it was once the private church of the Voulgaris family.
It has an impressive, towering campanile (the tallest in the town),
reminiscent of that of San Giorgio dei Greci in Venice. Simple on
the exterior, the Church has a particularly atmospheric interior,
with a profusion of relics and votive offerings. The ceiling was
painted in the 18th century by Panayiotis Doxaras, but it was destroyed
in the 19th century and replaced with copies by N. Aspiotis. The
marble iconostasis and the sumptuous casket are work of the 19th
century.
St. John the Baptist (prior to 16th century)
One of the first Cathedral Churches of the Great Protopapas, it
belongs to the Ionian type of church, a wooden-roofed single-nave
basilica surrounded by a low covered exonarthex. The exterior is
very simple, with a gently sloping roof and the characteristic bell-tower
which rises above the church. The iconostasis is decorated with
work by the School of Tzannes, as well as that of Tzenos and Chrysoloras,
while the ceiling is a composition by Sperantzas and dates from
1773.
The Blessed Virgin of Strangers, the Lady of Revelations (beginning
of 18th century)
A triple-nave wooden-roofed basilica, it was founded by a Corfiot
monk, Nikodemus, and was long the parish church of the Greek community
from Epiros. (the guilds of furriers and goldsmiths). The wooden
iconostasis of the church was replaced in 1875 and the ceiling is
the work of N. Koutouzis ( 18th century).
Ag. Nikolaos ton Geronton (beginning of 16th century)
One of the richest churches, used by the noble families. It belongs
to the Ionian type, with some variations due to adaptation to its
particular site. It was a Cathedral Church up to 1712 and has a
rare example of a pulpit with access from the exonarthex. It has
a superb carved iconostasis, one of the oldest existing in the town.
The Blessed Virgin of Spiliotissa and St. Vlassis (1577)
The Cathedral Church of Corfu since 1841, it is a triple-nave basilica
which replaced an older church on the same site. There have been
many alterations to both the exterior and interior. Amongst the
many icons which adorn the Church, of particular interest are those
by M. Damaskinos (16th century), Emmanuel Tzannes (17th century),
and Paramythiotis (18th century), while the reversible icon of the
Blessed Virgin Dimosiana is the oldest (15th century) and the most
important icon in the Church.
The Blessed Virgin of Kremasti and Ag. Iakovos (prior to 16th
century)
The church is of the Ionian type, and is connected to the priest's
house. The western section is supported by the exonarthex. The geometric
decoration of the northern face is reminiscent of 'graffito'. The
interior of the Church is particularly impressive, with a marble
iconostasis decorated with carved grapevine motifs, and with large,
splendid icons by Sperantzas (18th century).
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