Monastery Panagia of Tenedos

The Latin Church of Virgin Mary of Carmel or Tenedos in the Old Town of Corfu stands out for its baroque-style elements. The name of the church is related to a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary that refugee Franciscan monks brought to Corfu from Tenedos island following its occupation by the Ottomans (1657). The church is located near the current entrance of the New Fortress close to the Sarantari bastion at the very end of Solomou Street. The construction of the church began in 1663 on a plot of land donated by the nobleman Anzolo Donà, and it was rebuilt between 1710 and 1723. It is a single-aisled domed basilica with a dome above the sanctuary. An elegant bell tower rises near the dome. The nave is covered by three groin vaults. The sanctuary is raised and the Holy Altar is made of Carrara marble. There are four side chapels inside the church: the chapels of St. Nicholas and St. Andrew on the left, the chapels of the Virgin Mary, and of St. Francis and St. Spyridon on the right. Τhe altars of the chapels features small Tuscan columns. In 1797, during French rule in the Ionian Islands (1797-1799), the church housed the first Public Library on the island. In 1805-1824, the first Greek public school of Corfu and the Ionian Islands was inaugurated by Ioannis Kapodistrias. Moreover, in 1810, a pawnshop operated for a short period. The church was severely damaged following bomb attacks during the Second World War. The church celebrates on 16 July. References/ Reference List 1) Παπαγεωργίου Σ. Κ., Ιστορία της Εκκλησίας της Κέρκυρας από της Συστάσεως αυτής μέχρι του νυν, Αδελ. Γ. Ασπιώτη, Κέρκυρα 1920. 2) Καρύδης Σ. Χ., Ορθόδοξες Αδελφότητες και Συναδελφικοί Ναοί στην Κέρκυρα (15ος – 19ος αι.),Αθ. Σταμούλης, Αθήνα 2004. 3) Αγοροπούλου-Μπιρμπίλη, Α.: Η αρχιτεκτονική της πόλεως της Κέρκυρας κατά την περίοδο της Ενετοκρατίας, Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο, Αθήνα 1976.