Holy Monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi

The Holy Monastery of Saint Francis of Assisi on Nikiforos Theotokis St. is one of the oldest monasteries on the island. According to a view, it was constructed in the middle of the 13th century, when the island belonged to the Despotate of Epirus. It seems that initially it was an Orthodox church dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It is still unknown the exact day when it was granted to the Order of St. Francis; the first references date back to the16th century. The monastery is quite elevated in relation to the level of the road. Its layout is characteristic of a monastic complex of western doctrine with a peristyle courtyard around which the monks' cells are located. The exterior of the complex is simple. On the south side there is the katholikon of the monastery in the type of single-aisled basilica. The one-room chapel of Agia Anna is adjacent to the southwestern corner of the katholikon. The tower-like and relatively massive bell tower on the eastern side of the katholikon is reminiscent of the Romanesque Italian architecture. The sanctuary is tripartite and separated from the rest of the church by a marble parapet. On its long sides there are ornate altars dedicated to Saint Francis, Saint Rokkos, Virgin Mary and Saint Barbara. On the west side, there is a balcony where the church instrument is located. Following the Venetian rule, the Latin monasteries on the island were abolished and the monastery's premises were converted into public and private facilities. Today it houses one of the primary schools of the town. The memory of St. Francis is celebrated on 4 October. BIBLIOGRAPHY Αγοροπούλου – Μπιρμπίλη Α., «Η Αρχιτεκτονική των λατινικών εκκλησιών της Κέρκυρας και η θέση της στον ιστό της πόλης κατά την Βενετοκρατία», στο Πρακτικά Ζ’ Πανιονίου Συνεδρίου, Λευκάδα, 26-30 Μαΐου 2002, τόμος Β’, Αθήνα 2004. Παπαγεωργίου Σ. Κ., «Ιστορία της Εκκλησίας της Κέρκυρας από της Συστάσεως αυτής μέχρι του νυν», Κέρκυρα 1920. Καρύδης Σ. Χ., «Ορθόδοξες Αδελφότητες και Συναδελφικοί Ναοί στην Κέρκυρα (15ος – 19ος αι.)», Αθήνα 2004.