2 - UNESCO: World Heritage

DESCRIPTION
Public Building Architecture (Annex, Exhibits 9,13)
The public buildings of the Venetian period, whether public, military or designed to house the important families
of the island, were obviously constructed with utmost care because they were designed and constructed by
architects and technicians called in by the Venetians especially for that purpose.
The most significant buildings of the town surrounded the present square of the Dimarchion (Town Hall), the
town's social and cultural centre during Venetian rule. On its eastern side stands the Latin Cathedral of San
Giacomo, an elegant 17 th century building adorned with Baroque-style roof ornamentation, tower and belfry.
The southern side is occupied by the residence of the Latin Archbishop (reconstructed in 1754), with an
elegant balcony and balustrade along the facade (today it houses a branch of the Bank of Greece). On the
northern side stands the most important building of Venetian rule, the Loggia Nobilei (1663-9), constructed of
local dressed stone from Sinies. The simple, robust form of this building with its large, arched openings
bespeaks its significance. In the 18 th century the Loggia was transformed into a theatre, which was named
after the adjacent cathedral (Teatro San Giacomo). Since the beginning of the 20 th century it has housed the
Town Hall.
During Venetian rule a number of public buildings were constructed, some of which survive until the present
day: the entrance portal to one of the two granaries (1592) in the Spilia area, the pawn shop (1630), today
part of the Commissioners Palace, as well as the barracks of Spilia, which, having undergone subsequent
additions are still preserved today, and the Grimani barracks on the southern edge of Spianada (final form
c.1725), also known as the Ionian Academy, because they housed for a short period of time the first Greek
university.
The influence of French and British rule on the urban plan of the town has been minimal, as previously
mentioned. On the other hand, they determined to a great extent the architectural character of the town. The
residential complex of Spianada, called Volta or "Liston", with its elegant colonnade, where the Corfiots still
take their public stroll, is the most characteristic sign of the French presence on the island. The rhythmical
succession of elements reflects the monumental urban planning standards of the Napoleonic period, with
straight, uniform arrangements like those of rue de Rivoli. The morphological elements nevertheless follow
earlier standards. It is important to mention that the Spianada complex, part of a greater composition, was
designed and partially constructed by a Greek civil engineer, Ioannis Parmezan.
The period of the British Protectorate left obvious signs all over the town. A great number of buildings, both
unassuming and formal, were built by gifted architects who adopted the spirit of Classicism to offer fresh colour
to the capital of the Ionian Islands. The most significant works from the beginning of this period were
constructed by foreign engineers. Both the Palace of SS. Michael and George (1819-23), residence of the
British Commissioners, a Georgian monument and a prelude to Neo-Classicism in Greece, as well as the
Maitland monument are works of the British colonel and engineer George Whitmore. The palace facade, a
monumental composition inspired by Palladian models, is adorned with a Doric colonnade interrupted by the
magnificent portals of Agios Michael and Agios Georgios and curving at the ends to embrace the northern edge
of the Spianada square.
The Old Town of Corfu Nomination for inclusion on the World Heritage List 8
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