Antivouniotissa Museum: A devout collection of post-Byzantine ecclesiastical art

Built in late 15th century, the single-aisled, timber-roofed basilica combines a plain exterior with a richly decorated nave: tall pews, handpainted “wallpaper” and gilded woodcarvings on the ceiling, all distinctive elements of the Ionian-style basilica. The church was formerly the private property of the the Rizikaris, Scarpa, Alamannos and Mylonopoulos families, who donated it – along with its heirlooms – to the Greek state, on the condition that it be used as a museum.

There couldn’t be a more appropriate space to accommodate an impressive collection of religious icons dating from the 15th to the 19th century, offering visitors an overview of the artistic output of the period and the seminal role Corfu played in the development of Greek religious painting.

The Holy Church of the Virgin Mary now functions as a popular museum of post-Byzantine religious art holding 90 or so icons by eponymous and anonymous painters, displayed so as to recreate the church’s original liturgical character. The collection features works by several Cretan painters, such as the renowned Michael Damaskinos, Emmanuel Tzanes and Theodore Poulakis, who stopped at Corfu regularly on their way to Venice.

If you find yourself in Corfu on December 26 or August 23, don’t miss out on the opportunity to have a truly solemn experience, as these are the only two days when services are held in the church every year.