Historical landmarks

734 BC Corinthians found colony of Korkyra.

665 BC Korkyra gains independence, becomes Athenian ally.

229 BC – AD 336 Romans control Corfu, their first Adriatic colony.

336 AD Corfu becomes part of Byzantine Empire.

562 Ostrogoths devastate ancient Korkyra and its monuments.

933 Byzantine Corfiots establish new capital and build first fortress.

1185 Norman Angevins seize Corfu after several attempts.

1386 Venice acquires Corfu.

1537 Kérkyra Town withstands first Ottoman siege, but the countryside is sacked.

1572–1645 Venice erects great city walls and fortresses at Kérkyra.

1716 Corfiots, Venetians and allies repel final Ottoman siege.

1797 Napoleonic French acquire Ionian Islands from Venice.

1799 Russians and Ottomans seize Corfu; ‘Septinsular Republic’ set up.

1807–14 Ionian Islands again taken by Napoleonic French.

1814–64 Corfu becomes a British protectorate.

1831 Mainland Greece wins independence from Ottomans.

1864 Britain cedes Ionian Islands to Greece.

1916 Corfu gives refuge to exiled Serbian government and army.

1941 Corfu surrenders to Italy.

1943 Kérkyra Town damaged by Nazi bombardment as they occupy Corfu.

2007 Corfu’s Old Town designated a Unesco World Heritage site.

2010–12 Greek debt becomes unmanageable; Greece goes under IMF/EU supervision.

2012–2015 Harsh austerity measures trigger political crises.

2015 Alexis Tsipras, leader of leftist party SYRIZA, becomes PM; international creditors grant Greece a third bailout after Tsipras caves to their demands.

2018–19 Greece emerges from financial supervision; in July 2019 elections, ND regains power.