5. Church of St Jacob and St Christopher

Right next to the Old Town Hall, Corfu’s Catholic Cathedral (or Duomo) is dedicated to St Christopher and St Jacob (or St James). Its construction began in the 16th century, during the Venetian rule, on the site of an older church. And it was consecrated as Corfu’s Catholic Cathedral in 1553 after the previous cathedral, dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul in the Old Fortress, was destroyed. In 1658, it was renovated by Archbishop Carlo Labia and underwent further renovations until it took its present form in 1905, with elements of Venetian, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture. The inside was destroyed by the German air force in 1943 and it was completely restored between 1966 and 1970, with an ornate altar and frescoes. It continues to serve Corfu’s Catholic community to this day.

As you’ve seen, the Catholic and Orthodox Christian communities have coexisted on Corfu for centuries. This is similar to some other Greek islands, like Syros and Zakynthos. But there’s one tradition that sets Corfu apart. In 1583, the Venetians decided that Catholic and Orthodox Easter – which fall anywhere between 1 and 4 weeks apart everywhere else – should be celebrated on the same day in Corfu. The tradition continues today. On Holy Saturday evening (the night before Easter Sunday), the Catholic service of the Resurrection takes place in the Duomo with the accompaniment of an organ. The service ends at 11pm so that the congregation can also attend the Orthodox Resurrection. Likewise, on Good Friday the Catholic epitaph leaves this point at 9pm and joins the Orthodox epitaphs in town.

Climb the stairs to the grand building at the highest point of Dimarchiou Square. It was built in 1630 as the palace of the Latin Catholic Archbishops and has a great view of the square from above and the Catholic bell tower.

The street on which the Church of St Jacob and St Christopher is located is Guildford St (also spelt Gkilford). Facing the church, turn right and continue up Guildford St. Cross two alleyways on your left until you reach a third alley (Vondiolou St). Your next stop is the corner shop opposite this alleyway.