Museums in Corfu

The Museum of Asian Art of Corfu is the only Asian museum of Greece and is housed in the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint Georges. It was founded in 1927 after that Gregory Manos, an ambassador, donated to the prefecture its private collection of 10, 500 objects of Sino Japanese origin. The museum was first a Chinese and Japanese Art Museum (until 1974) and became an Asian Art Museum later when its collection was enriched with other private collection objects and items from Asia.

This museum is housed in the church of Antivouniotissa, one of the oldest and richest churches in Corfu Town. In 1979, this church was turned into a museum and it exhibits a rich collection of Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons and relics, representing more than five centuries of religious fervor and art.

The Municipal Gallery of Corfu is housed in the Palace of Saint Michael and Saint George. It houses brilliant works of local artists of the 19th century and frequently it hosts important exhibitions.

The archaeological museum stands in Vraila Street, near the Garitsa coastal road and was built to house the Gorgon pediment from the temple of Artemis which was found in the area of Paleopolis. This pediment is dated back to 580 BC and is supposed to be the oldest one in Greece. In the archaeological museum of Corfu, visitors will also admire other founds from excavations from the archaeological sites of the island, from the ancient town of Cassiopeia and items from a private collection.

The Sea Shell Museum of Corfu opened by private initiative and it houses rare pieces from around the world, such as the Indian Ocean and the Meditteranean Sea. It is located outside the village of Benitses.

The Museum of Music "Nikolaos Halikiopoulos Mantzaros" opened in October 2010 with the initiative of the Philarmonic Society of Corfu. In fact, it is dedicated to the founder of this society and the composer of the Greek National Anthem and the Olympic Anthem.

Just across the Roman baths of Acharavi, northern Corfu, there is a Folklore Museum with interesting exhibits that depict the historical course of the island from 1700 till today. The museum is a personal effort of Spyros Vlachos and it is housed in an exhibition building of 1,000 sq.m.

Casa Parlante opened its doors to the public in March 2014 and is actually a living history museum. With animated robotic figures, traditional furniture and real smells and sounds, the museum represents the daily life of a noble 19th-century family.

The Historic and Folklore Museum of Corfu is housed in a traditional two-storey house in Sinarades, a lovely village west of Corfu Town. It was established in 1982 by the Historical-Folklore Society of Corfu and exhibits items from the period 1860-1960.

The Numismatic Museum of Corfu was founded by the Ionian Bank in 1981. It is housed in a building designed by a local architect, Ioannis Chronis. It hosts a rich collection of banknotes, coins, bank documents, stamps, and other bank objects as well as a reproduction of the modern manufacturing process of banknotes.