Museum of Asian Art Corfu

The Palace of St. Michael and St. George houses the Museum of Asian Art of Corfu. It is the only museum in Greece which is dedicated to Asian art and antiquities. The impressive neoclassical building was built in the 19 th century (1819-1823) during British rule in the Ionian islands, under Sir Thomas Maitland (1759-1824), the first High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands. The building was designed by British Army engineer and architect Sir George Whitmore (1775-1862) and is made of Maltese tufa. In 1864, following the Union of the Ionian Islands with Greece, it became property of the Greek state and today houses the Museum of Asian Art.​ The palace comprises a central three-storey p-shaped building which connects to two side wings through an outer Doric peristyle. Two gates surround the building, the gate of St. Michael and the gate of St. George. The main entrance leads to the ground floor which includes a magnificent staircase leading to the first floor where the monumental halls of the Order of St. Michael and St. George are housed. The permanent exhibitions of the museum are showcased in these halls. The exhibition extends to the second floor of the building. Today the museum numbers about 10,500 items which come from donations of private collections. The museum’s main objective is the collection, maintenance and protection, as well as the study and promotion of artworks coming from countries in Asia. At the same time, it organizes information programs and temporary exhibitions focused on the dissemination of the cultural heritage of Asia. References/Reference list 1. http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/1/gh151.jsp?obj_id=3347 2. http://www.matk.gr/ 3. Καρδαμίτση-Αδάμη, Μ. Ανάκτορα στην Ελλάδα. Εκδόσεις Μέλισσα, Αθήνα 2009. 4. Δημακόπουλος Ι., «Νεοκλασικά Πρελούντια στην Ελλάδα. Η αρχιτεκτονική και τα αρχαιολογικά ενδιαφέροντα του George Whitmore στην Κέρκυρα», Αρχαιολογικό Δελτίο, Τόμος 30, 1975, Μελέται, σ. 253-293.