Mon Repos palace became the summer residence of all British governors of Corfu and when the Ionian Islands were united to Greece, in 1864, it was given as a gift to King George I of Greece. This is also the house where Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elisabeth II, was born into on June, 10th, 1921. During the Italian occupation of Corfu, in the Second World War, this palace became the residence of Parini, the Italian governor of the Ionian Islands.

Along the decades, the ownership of the palace was argued between the Greek government and the former Greek royal family. The former King Constantine of Greece thought Mon Repos was his property because it used to be his summer residence during his reign. However, the Greek government would not accept this claim and was considering this residence a Greek state’s ownership.

Finally, in 2002, the European Court of Human Rights at Strasburg awarded to the former king compensation of 7 million for the three properties he lost when the monarchy was abolished in Greece, in 1975. Nowadays this house is used by the Municipality of Corfu as a tourist attraction and is visited by hundreds of tourists every year. The palace has today been restored and reflects its original and classical imposing features.

It hosts a museum that includes many Ionian treasures. The palace itself is placed in a very nice environment and is surrounded by a large park. The remains of the ancient town of Corfu, which have been found the opposite to the palace, make archaeologists believe that Mon Repos was built right on the site where the ancient city of Corfu used to be.

Kanoni is one of the most famous Corfu sights, It covers the entire peninsula south of Corfu Town. In antiquity, there was the ancient city of Corfu founded in the 8th century BC by Dorians who came from Korinth, (a Greek town near Athens), with the ancient temple of Artemis, the monuments, and the citadel at the present location of Analipsis

Fittingly the port stood almost where the airport is currently.

On the hill facing the departure terminal is a piece of wall believed to be 2500 years old, all that is left of the watchtower and wall of the ancient cily. Residents here often find cannonballs and pieces of pottery when they are gardening.

Further inland are the remains of the temple of Athena, and just outside the gates of Mon Repos palace a large site still being evaluated by archaeologists. Apart from these, and the foundations of a small temple actually on the grounds of Mon Repos there is little else left now as Kanoni has become a very popular suburb of Corfu Town and has a number of hotels, as well as many apartments.

Kanoni got its name because on the promontory at the end of the peninsula was situated a battery cannon that has been there since 1798- pointing out to sea to protect the island.

In Victorian times it was a popular stroll in the cool of the evening, and we can imagine the men in their uniforms and the ladies in crinolines. Today’s visitors are more comfortably dressed but still enjoy taking a coffee at one of the bars enjoying superb views over Vlacherna monastry – a small whitewashed building next to the airport 🙂

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