Church of St. Nicholas ton Geronton (of Elders)

The Church of St. Nicholas of the Elderly in Campiello district, also known as (San Nicolo dei Vecchi) is one of the oldest churches in the Old Town. The church dates back to 1497 and is a parish church. Since 1581 and following the demolition of the church of St. Lazaros, it has been dedicated to St. Nicholas and St. Lazaros. Until 1712, it was the Cathedral of the Head Priests (“Μεγάλοι Πρωτοπαππάδες”). According to tradition, in 1575 the holy relic of Saint Theodora Augusta was transferred to the church where it remained until 1725. It is a one-room church and belongs to the type of the single-aisled basilica. The building comprises the residence of the priest in its northern part. Inside the church, the stone iconostasis is adorned with remarkable icons which date back to the 16th and 17th century. The church hosts part of the True Cross as well as the relics of St. Nicholas, St. Lazaros and other saints. Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first governor of Greece, was baptized in this church on 11 February 1776. During the First World War and after the Serbian soldiers had been landed in Corfu, the church was temporarily ceded to the Serbs. References / Bibliography - Καρύδης Σ., Δημουλάς, Γ., Πουλής,Γ., Χώροι λατρείας και κλήρος στην Κέρκυρα του 17ουαιώνα. Αρχειακά τεκμήρια, Αναγνωστική Εταιρία Κέρκυρας 2018, σ. 84. - Αγοροπούλου – Μπιρμπίλη Α., Η αρχιτεκτονική της πόλεως της Κέρκυρας κατά την περίοδο της Ενετοκρατίας, Αθήνα 1976. - Λυκίσσας Μ., Η Κέρκυρα Εστία Μεταβυζαντινής Αγιογραφίας, Αθήνα 1960.