The most northerly of the Ionian Islands, Corfu is the closest to both Italy in the west and Albania in the east, and it has been touched over the years by several other foreign cultures. As a result it has acquired certain sophistication and an offbeat charm.

There is evidence of human habitation 40,000 years ago in the area of modern Corfu town, at a time when the island was joined to the mainland. The island’s fertility, size, and natural beauty all contributed to its development, and by the time of the Persian Wars it was so powerful that only Athens sent a larger naval fleet to the Greek forces massed against the Persians.

The Venetians had the most impact on Corfu, culturally and architecturally, as a result of their occupation from 1386 to 1797. This means that the Turkish influence so strong elsewhere in Greece is negligible here.