A bustling narrow street filled with tourists in the old quarter of Corfu Town (Kérkyra in Greek) on the beautiful Greek Island of Corfu.

In the background, the church of Agios (Saint) Spyridon is the most famous on the island. Built in 1589 to replace the older church of Sorokos, destroyed during the construction of the town’s walls, it is a single nave basilica which has the highest bell-tower of all the island’s churches.

This bell-tower has a unique red dome and clock, similar to the bell-tower of the Orthodox Church of Agios Georgios (Saint Georges) in Venice.

Agios Spyridon, to whom the church is dedicated, is the patron of the island who, before becoming a bishop, started his life as a shepherd in Cyprus; he is related to many miracles such as the salvation of the island from the Turkish occupation, the famine and the epidemics.

His relics were brought from Constantinople and are preciously kept in a golden shrine from Venice. Every 12th of December, the feast name of the saint patron is celebrated during which the saint’s relics are carried through the streets of the town. Even today he is said to cure people and perform miracles.

Corfu is the most northerly of the Grecian Ionian Islands. It is a green and beautiful place where the pace of life is not too taxing.

The Old Town of Corfu is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Single RAW image Tonemapped in Photomatix Pro 3.2.

Camera: Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi in the USA)
Lens: Sigma 18-200mm

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Related shots can be found at Corfu or Greece or Eastern Meditteranean.

Featured in : Historic Places : 19 Jan 10