Byzantine defences of Corfu

 We hired a car on Saturday to explore the island. The roads on Corfu are in reasonable condition, if narrow in places. The terrain is hilly, so travel times are slow. The biggest challenge is the poor mobile phone coverage and the limited traffic signs. Mrs Google took us on some unwanted diversions!

We started at the Ioannis Kapodistrias Museum, which is in the hills not far from our hotel. He was a 19th-century Greek statesman, politician, and diplomat, and the first governor of Greece after the war of independence. He was born in Corfu, although his family originates from the city of Capodistria (also called Koper) in Slovenia. He served in the Septinsular Republic after the Russians and Ottomans defeated the French on Corfu in 1799.  When the French returned, he entered the Russian diplomatic service, serving throughout Europe. In 1827, the newly formed Greek National Assembly elected him as the first head of state. Greek politics was severely split, and he was assassinated in 1831. It is a small but fascinating museum in one of the family's former homes.

The primary focus of the day was to visit the Byzantine castles, which were built to defend the island.

Outwith Corfu Town, there were three. The best is Kassiopi, a lovely fishing village located at the northeast tip of the island, just over the Corfu Channel from Albania. The first Byzantine castle may have been built in the 6th century AD, but the walls today are likely from a later period. It is a short walk up from the harbour to the entrance gate and walls. Nothing much is left of the interior. The Venetians made little use of it until the 18th century.

Our next stop was going to be Angelokastro on the north west coast, but this was where Google, or to be fair, the signal coverage, sent us on a diversion, so we only saw it from a distance. It was probably built after 1214 by Michael II Komnenos and was named after his father, Angelokastro. 

The final stop was Gardiki, in the south of the island. It was probably built either by Michael I Komnenos or his son Michael II Komnenos, rulers of the Despotate of Epirus in the 13th century, as part of their triangular defence of the island. It is built on a low hill, although overlooked by the nearby village, which seems a bit strange. It would have been fairly useless in the era of gunpowder. The outer walls are in reasonable condition, but nothing of the interior remains.

The Normans captured the island twice. First, in 1081, when Robert Guiscard captured the island to secure a base for his campaign against the Byzantine Empire. Roger II of Sicily returned to take the island in 1147 and held it for two years. Kassiopi was handy, with its small harbour and strategic position opposite Albania. This is the Corfu Channel with Albania in the background.

It wasn't the best castle hunt I have done, but they are worth a look. Anything to do with the Normans in the Balkans is good for me. This book by Georgios Theotokis effectively covers the campaigns.