Mon Repos Corfu

Mon Repos is a beautiful monument in the middle of a stunning park near Kanoni, Corfu.
This former palace was built in 1820s for the British Commissioner and his Corfiot wife. However they were not able to enjoy the pleasure of such a beautiful house for long, as he was sent to serve in India. After their departure the building had various uses including the summer residence of British governors, a school of fine arts and Empress Elizabeth of Austria (better known as Sissi) also stayed there. It's a lovely building in a beautiful forest. It has not the grandeur of Achilleion, the summer residence of Sissi, but inspired her to build the most famous palace of Corfu. The sun terrace overlooking the sea is very similar to that at Sissi's retreat.
After the unification of Greece, when King George I (of Greece) visited he named the palace Mon Repos and it became the summer residence for the Greek royal family until the end of the monarchy in Greece. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh was born here. After the end of the monarchy there was a disagreement in ownership, the Greek royal family believing it was theirs and the Greek State argued it belonged to the country. This dispute caused the property to fall into disrepair. It has now been renovated and houses a museum where many of the historical highlights of Corfu and Greece are exhibited.

Nice hiking area of Corfu

OK, the building is beautiful and the displayed objects speak to the imagination. However what this writer finds much more appealing is the beautiful forest in which it is located. The site is vast with many narrow paths, lush boulevards, verdant hills with stunning views and broad plains. The park is full of rare plants and trees. Mon Repos’s grounds are Corfu’s nature at its best. Huge trees provide shade from the sun. If you like jumping into the sea you can do that as well. At the back of the park is a small beach with a long pier built into the sea from where you can dive into the clear Ionian Sea or spot some fish.

Historical Corfu

The whole area just breathes history. Not just the forest, but the buildings and other structures. Right across the entrance to the park are the remains of Palaiopolis, which are thought to be the original settlement of Corfu Town. The best example of the remains is a church (opinions differ on this) that predates BC. Furthermore you will find the theatre “Rena Vlachopoulou” named after one of the most famous actresses of Greece, who happened to be born on Corfu. There are also the ruins of an ancient Doric temple waiting for you. It seems it this was build about five centuries before Christ. It is one of the oldest monuments of Corfu and even Greece.
In the grounds, if you're lucky, you will discover ancient murals. The little church where the well-preserved icons have been found, lies not far from the main building of Mon Repos. At the time of writing, however, the church is being restored, so it may be that you can not get access.
All in all, you should definitely visit Mon Repos during your Corfu holiday.

Business hours Mon Repos
House & Museum: Tuesday – Sunday 08.30 – 15.00
Grounds: Daily 08.00 – 18.00
Ook in deze categorie: « Meteora Nature Walk »

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