Skip to content
Slow Travel Guidebook Logo

Menu
  • Home
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Lifestyle
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
Menu


Travel2.jpg


culture2.jpg


lifestyle2.jpg

Balcony with trees as seen from Mon Repos Palace

Mon Repos Corfu: Step back 2500 Years

Posted on September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 by Slow Traveller

What is it?

The Museum of Palaiopolis – Mon Repos in Corfu City is a former palace that now functions as museum detailing and ancient history. It is located at the start of the Kanoni Peninsula. The palace and its ground are built on the ruins of the ancient city of Korkyra which was also known as Palaiopolis.

Today visitors can explore the extensive gardens and the surrounding park for free. Due to its location, the palace and its grounds afford spectacular views, especially at sunrise.

Mon Repo’s History

Built in 1828, the residence was originally conceived as the summer residence for the British Lord High Commissioner of the United States of the Ionian Islands at the time. It only served this purpose for 5 years and 1833 it became a school for the fine arts. This villa’s extensive grounds were opened to the public one year later in 1834.

Mon Repos would once again become a residence in 1864 when the estate was gifted to King George I of the Hellenes upon the union of the United States of the Ionian Islands with the rest of Greece. It was King George I who gave the estate the name Mon Repos, which translates to “My Rest.”

Mon Repos would remain a royal residence until the Greek Royal Family fled the country in 1967. The building would fall into disrepair until the 1990’s when restoration works began on the site.

The residence would see three royal births during its tenure as the summer residence of the Greek Royal Family. The most notable of which was the late Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband to the late Queen Elizabeth II. He is supposedly to have been born on the dinning room table at Mon Repos on the 10th of June 1921.

Architecture of Mon Repos

The building is a prime example of the Neoclassical Architecture which was popular at the time. The building is symmetrical. The entrance is framed by six Doric columns. On either end of the building are matching rotunda with a further six Doric columns apiece. The entablature above all columns of the building is simple, featuring no frieze decoration

Mon Repos typifies the Neoclassical ideals as characterised by the grand use of columns, blanks walls, and simple geometric shape.

Should you visit Mon Repos Corfu?

So, should you visit? The short answer is that it depends. If you are a fan of architecture or you would like to learn more about the history of the building and its ancient surroundings, then yes you should visit. However, you do no need to visit to see the ancient ruins scattered around the estate. So, if you are pressed for time, it shouldn’t be on the must-see list of sites in Corfu. If you do choose to visit ticket prices for the interior of Mon Repos range from 2 to 4 Euro. Mon Repos is open all year round.

More than just an Palace

Mon Repos is now so much more than just a Palace. The main attraction are the expansive grounds surrounding the palace. While the maintained flower gardens  are beautiful, the star of the whole estates is the trove of ancient Greek temples and sites within several minutes walk from the palace.

Temple of Hera

Otherwise known as the Heraion, this large site is the first you will come across when exploring the ground of Mon Repos. As the name suggest, the temple

Built in 610 BC, the Heraion was a major temple and is one of the earliest examples of archaic Greek architecture.  Built on the top of a hill, during its heyday, the Heraion would have been very visible to passing ships passing the ancient Corfu.

The Temple is believed to have been destroyed by fire in the 5th century BC. After its initial destruction, the site was expanded, and a new temple constructed.

Unfortunately, most of the temple and its artifacts are believed to have been looted by the Byzantines and Venetians. Many of the stone blocks that made up the temple and its grounds were removed and incorporated into other buildings in Corfu.

Fortunately, there were many artifacts that were recovered during excavations including over 550 that have been digitized by the University of Nebraska. From these fragments it has been possible to determine the vibrant colors the figures on the roof tiles were painted. These roof figures included lions, Gorgonia, and Daedalic maidens.

The researched were also able to create a digital reconstruction of the roof itself which revealed it was perhaps one of the most ambitious construction projects of its time. A completed digital reconstruction of the temple is currently being created.

There are also two active archaeological digs under way at the Heraion at “Building A” and “Building B.”

Kardaki Temple

Just south of the Heraion, you will stumble across the ruins of Kardaki Temple. Set into a hill, protected by a retaining wall is a site that feels as though it has not been touched in thousands of years.

Go to the site early in the morning or late in the evening and you will likely have the temple all to yourself. You can wander the site to your hearts content, imagining what it would have been like 2500 years ago. You can almost smell torches that would have illuminated the temple interior.

View of Kardaki Doric Temple in Corfu at Sunset
Kardaki Temple at Sunset

Built in approximately 500BC, the Temple is somewhat of an enigma to modern archelogy. It is the only known Greek Doric temple without a frieze on its entablature. It has been theorized that this omission is evidence of Sicilian influence on the temple. Conversely, the lack of a porch or adyton (an inner sanctuary) may also point to Ionian influences.

It is also unclear to which deity the temple was dedicated, although Apollo and Poseidon have been postulated.

Conclusion

Hopefully you will be spending a long time in Corfu and won’t be rushed for time when you visit Mon Repos. Being so close to the a secluded beach ( a secret for another time), ancient and Neoclassical architecture and some truly spectacular trees make the Mon Repos estate an excellent addition to any Corfu itinerary.

Like What You See?

Looking for more travel, lifestyle , and culture content why not check out:

Slow Travel: Is Caldas Da Rainha Vegan Friendly?

Culture: The Boda Boda

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Mon Repos Corfu: Step back 2500 Years
  • The Boda Boda
  • Is Caldas Da Rainha Vegan Friendly?
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shop

Slow Travel Guidebook

More Than A Destination

©2023 Slow Travel Guidebook | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT