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 There are over eight hundred churches and Monasteriesin
Corfu, so only
the main ones are listed here. Many of the churches and Monasteries can be
visited, but you should bear in mind that some of them are still working as
religious communities, and visiting may be restricted or forbidden.
If you wish
to visit Monasteries or churches in
Corfu,
please remember to be respectful in your dress. You should
not try to visit in swimwear, shorts, or revealing clothing. Female visitors
who have bare arms and legs may be asked to wear a shawl or long skirt to enter
the building. This applies to the Monastery at Paleokastritsa, where the shawls
and skirts are provided at the entrance to the Monastery, as well as some other
Holy buildings.
Monasteries
in
Corfu
Monastery of Paleokastritsa
The monastery of the Blessed Virgin is probably the
best monasteries to visit on
Corfu.
The facilities for tourists are excellent, and there is free parking outside
the gates. It is open from May to October, but the Monastery is closed during
siesta hours (between 1.30 and 5.30 each afternoon). It was originally build in
1277, a date commemorated on the fabulous fresco above the entrance gate. The
church at the centre was restored in 1722.
The gardens and the monastery offer fabulous views of
the bays of Paleokastritsa below. There is a small museum with religious
artefacts and even a showcase of bones from a sea monster which was found
nearby. There is a small gift shop, olive press, monk's cells and the Abbots
quarters, as well as quiet gardens and patio areas. The narrow, steep road up
to the monastery is controlled by traffic lights, and is busy with coaches in
the summer months.
Monastery of the Blessed Virgin Platitera
This is on the outskirts of town between Mandouki port
and San Rocco square. It was built by a monk around 1748. The church contains
some wonderful religious icons by Italian craftsmen and painters. The ceiling
of eleven religious icons surrounded by gilt frames is stunning. The church was
rebuilt in 1801 after the French destroyed it. It is the resting place of John
Capodistrias and other eminent Corfiots, who rest under simple marble slabs in
the Sanctuary.
Monastery of
Mount
Pantocrator
This is to be found on
Mount
Pantocrator,
Corfu's highest
mountain of 960 metres. It was build around 1347. It has Baroque, late
eighteenth century icons and seventeenth century frescoes on the walls. It was
destroyed in 1537, to be rebuilt in the late 17th century. It is dedicated to
the Transfiguration of Christ.
Convent of the Blessed Virgin Vlacherna at Scripero
Placed near to the
village
of
Scripero
on the main road from
Corfu
town to Sidari is this late 18th century Basilica with a single nave. It has
two icons which were reputed to have been brought here from Saint Spyridon's
church in
Corfu
town.
Convent of Saint Theodore at Kanoni ( near Garitsa)
This convent is close to the
Temple
of
Artemis
in Kanoni. It is an early Christian church, with only a nave and a single aisle
still existing from the original church. Cells with a courtyard and covered
gallery can still be seen.
The original building, which was pre Christian, dated
back to the 5th century BC.
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Monasteries
