2 - UNESCO: World Heritage

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centuries it was a culture somewhat cut off from the town, forgotten outside its walls. It took on a new lease of
life in the 19 th century with the extension of suffrage and the expansion of the urban political game outside the
context of the town.
The result came late. The countryside came to dominate in cultural and economic terms in a process being
completed at present. This fact has many consequences but the most important is that, since the countryside
had preserved the Greek culture and its traditions, when it came to dominate in cultural terms over the town, it
gradually extinguished the unique Venetian culture that had developed within the town. Italian gradually
retreated as the language of the elite and of administration (the process began in 1797 and was completed in
relation to administration at least in 1864). The unique urban traditions even if retained in some cases no
longer have their purely urban meaning.
The town of Corfu had managed during the period of Venetian rule to develop a Greek – Italian culture that is
worth preserving. A town of bureaucracy and military affairs, political and military elites, a port and merchant’s
town, a town of ecclesiastical institutes, it was given adequate attention by its governors so as to acquire
important walls and buildings which made it stand out and become famous. A cultivated town it saw its
townsfolk govern wisely and frequently saw them rise to prominence outside the borders of the island. From
this viewpoint, Corfu was not cosmopolitan because it could welcome foreigners but because its townsfolk
could stand out abroad. It is said that an Italian troupe had ever reason to try itself out on Corfu before daring
an Italian tour. The Corfiot audience was more demanding.
Everything in the town, its roads, its mansions and more humble abodes, its churches and lanes exude a
special atmosphere even today. Its neighbourhoods were organized around their local church and
administration lay in the hands of the most socially powerful parishioners, the aristocracy of the neighbourhood.
The population was identified by the ‘society’ it belonged to, whether it was a guild with its specific banner and
privileges or a fraternity (adelfato) of nobles that had its own church. The weakest in society, though, depended
on informal aid from a powerful house. They met in wider social circles outside the set of relatives and friends
and dedicated followers of the family. Frequently the groups thus formed had major disputes or rivalries
between each other while remaining unified on the inside.
Publicly, everything emphasized the differences in social class and standing. Archons were distant and were
accompanied by their servants who frequently carried them. They wore wigs while their carriage bore their
emblems as did the servants’ uniforms. Lace was common on women’s clothing as well as expensive fabrics.
The lower classes dressed in rags and were often barefoot. However, on official occasions in the presence of
the Venetian authorities, the costume was black and austere, recalling that they were patricians and not showy
knights. The accent and of course the vocabulary differed from class to class. Among the aristocracy, Italian
words were common when Italian itself was not being spoken, while the popular vocabulary was simply
dressed with Italian words, primarily from the technical vocabulary. The archons kept their distance, which
more than once outraged the lower classes and caused them to challenge the status quo.
The Old Town of Corfu Nomination for inclusion on the World Heritage List 32
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