To summarize the identity of Corfu and the Corfiots lifestyle, we borrow the description given by their king Alcinous about 2,800 years ago, when he also felt the need to explain to his guest Odysseus, what Corfu is and who are the Corfiots:
"But come now, hear me out,
so you can tell our story to other lords
as you sit and feast in your own halls someday,
your own wife and your children by your side,
remembering there our island prowess here:
what skills great Zeus has given us as well,
down all the years from our fathers’ days till now.
We’re hardly world-class boxers or wrestlers, I admit,
but we can race like the wind, we’re champion sailors too,
and always dear to our hearts, the feast, the lyre and dance
and changes of fresh clothes, our warm baths and beds".
Homer's Odyssey
Book viii
A Day for Songs and Contests
241-249
Impressive, evocative and unpredictable. Going deeper you'll discover senses of madness, art and an incredible passion that inspires.
History: The march of history in Corfu, from ancient times until the present day.
Nature: Nature with lush vegetation, unspoilt beaches, traditional villages.
Life Today: Feel the pulse of the island, with its strong cultural connections, its devout religious celebrations. Learn the words you will need.
Faith: The religious beliefs of the Corfiots, and Saint Spiridon. All the processions. When they take place and why.
Culture: Once, there were people living in Corfu who practised the arts. Historical events, chance, the status quo, favoured them, and subsequent generations built on the foundations they created. Artists, writers, poets, scholars and architects lived side by side in Corfu for many years, forming the unique 'culture club'.