Family Vacations in Corfu

History of Corfu

Greek history and legend of the island

History and Legend

 

Corfu history and Greek legends

According to legend, Corfu appeared in Homer's "Odyssey" and was the home of the Phaeacians. Corfu was involved in the Peloponnesian War and later chose to become part of the Roman Empire. The castle at Kassiopi is an example of Roman remains. In 337AD Corfu came under the rule of Byzantium. Historians tell us that a reference to the name of Corypho appears in 968 which is where the old fortress stood. Corfu's position between Greece and Italy always attracted powers from east and west. In 1204, the Fourth crusade overthrew Constantinople and Corfu was given to Venice. For a time, Corfu was passed to Epirus and then to Sicily and then won by the Angevins. Then the Venetians returned once again, ruling from 1386 to 1797. Corfu was ruled by the French during the Napoleonic era and became a British protecturate in 1815 until it was unified with Greece in 1864. During the second world war Corfu was occupied by Italian forces and in 1943, when Italy surrendered, the Germans massacred the Italian troops and Corfu's Jewish population was sent to Auschwitz.

 
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