Town hall (Loggia Nobilei- The Nobles Arcade)

Loggia dei Nobili is a noticeable building in Corfu. It is located near the Catholic Cathedral and opposite the Palace of the Latin Archbishop (currently houses the Bank of Greece). Its construction began in 1663 and was completed in 1693. Loggia is a rectangular building, perfectly symmetrical, made of stone from Sinies and the only building in the city featuring ashlar masonry. Its architecture is reminiscent of Renaissance buildings. On the building’s façade, the stone head sculptures (“mourionia”) decorating the keystones of the arches, the medals on the frieze and the emblem of Corfu in the centre of the façade are really impressive. In 1691, a structure commemorating Francesco Morosini, Doge of Venice (1688-1694) was placed on the east façade along with an epigraph, a commemoration of his visit to Corfu. In 1720 Loggia was converted into a theatre which was named San Giacomo because of its proximity to the Catholic Metropolitan Church of St. Jacob. Italian operas were performed there. It had been used as a theatre until 1903 when the new Municipal Theatre was inaugurated. Then the building undergone alterations and a floor was added to house the Town Hall. References / Bibliography - Αγοροπούλου-Μπιρμπίλη Α., Η αρχιτεκτονική της πόλεως της Κέρκυρας κατά την περίοδο της Ενετοκρατίας, Αθήνα 1976. Δημαράς Κ.Θ. και Δαφνής Κ. (επιμ.), Λ. Βροκίνη Έργα Τόμος Β΄, «Περί της οικοδομής την εν τω Κερκυραϊκώ άστει στοάς - Loggia και εις θέατρον μετατροπής αυτής 1667-1799», Κερκυραϊκά Χρονικά, Τόμος xvii Κέρκυρα, 1973.