Did Corfu belong to Italy?

In 1864 Corfu was ceded, with the other Ionian Islands, to Greece. To this day the islands celebrate their Day of Unification on 21st May. Corfu was invaded by Italy during WWII, as part of Mussolini's grand plan to resurrect the mighty Roman Empire.



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Corfu lies off the northwestern coast of Greece, near Albania, where the Ionian Sea meets the Adriatic. The Lion of St. Mark, one of the most iconic symbols of Venice, is an emblem of Corfu, too, another present-day reminder of the island's Venetian history.

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From the 15th century, Corfu was under Venetian rule for some four centuries, then passing to French, British and Greek governments. At various occasions, it had to defend the Venetian maritime empire against the Ottoman army.

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The French occupied Corfu for only a year before a Russian-Turkish fleet took the island, leaving the Russians in control and declaring the island part of the Eftanisos State – the State of the Seven Islands.

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In November 1815 Corfu came under British rule following the Napoleonic Wars, and in 1864 was ceded to modern Greece by the British government along with the remaining islands of the United States of the Ionian Islands under the Treaty of London.

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The island of Corfu, which lies off the west coast of the Greek mainland, is no stranger to foreign influences. Its unique culture is a fusion of Greek and Italian elements, with later British and French additions, reflecting its varied history as a much coveted and strategic holding in the Mediterranean.

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The architecture of Corfu City still reflects its long Venetian heritage, with its multi-storied buildings, its spacious squares such as the popular Spianada and the narrow cobblestone alleys known as Kantounia. The town began to grow during the Venetian period on a low hillock situated between the two forts.

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Thousands flee in Greece's largest-ever wildfire evacuation Authorities said at least 2,400 visitors and locals were evacuated from Corfu overnight on Sunday as a precaution, according to AFP. July 23, 2023: People watch the fires near the village of Malona in the Greek island of Rhodes.

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One very important aspect of Corfu we didn't mention so far: the residents of the island. The are called Greeks, but they call themself Corfiots.

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Corfiot Italians were mainly concentrated in the city of Corfu, which was called Città di Corfu by the Venetians. More than half of the population of Corfu city in the 18th century spoke the Venetian language.

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Corfu is famous for its charming architecture as it features a cluster of colorful buildings dated back to the Venetian period. The island's historic town is a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and elegant ones worldwide.

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