New Fortress
El. Venizelou 13, Kerkira 491 00, Greece Phone: +30 2661 048120 Not AvailableAbout
The New Fortress of Corfu is a Venetian fortress built on the hill of St. Mark in Corfu in stages. At the top of the castle there is a stone building which was used for defence and a brick building which in modern times functions as the headquarters of the Naval Station of Corfu.The Venetian fortifications were later expanded by the British and the French to help defend against a possible Turkish attackThe Fortress compound is divided into two levels. In the lower level there is a three-storey building called "Punta Perpetua" and a bastion of pentagonal shape.[8]
Inside the bastion there is a maze of arched chambers, galleries, ventilation shafts, stairs and ramps. The fortress has two baroque-styled gates. Its western side features a dry moat which spans the length of the walls, running from the vegetable market to the new harbour. The moat is a good example of moat architecture.[2][9]
The structure features twin bastions, named Skarponas and Epta Anemoi ("Seven Winds"),[10] which has a commanding view of the sea and the mountains of mainland Greece. Below the bastion there is a building which was built by the British and functioned as military barracks. Nowadays it houses art exhibits and collections as well as space for social events.[11]
The bastion is at a height of 55 m above sea level and features structures such as underground cisterns, powder magazines, artillery positions and underground halls.[11
