UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Old Town of Corfu is located in a strategic position at the entrance of the Adriatic Sea, with its roots going back to the 8th century BC. The town is dominated by its fortresses of Venetian origin, designed by renowned Venetian engineers, and used for four centuries to defend the maritime trading interests of the Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire. The mainly neoclassical housing stock of the Old Town is partly from the Venetian period, partly of later construction, notably the 19th century. The urban and port ensemble of Corfu constitutes an architectural example of outstanding universal value in both its authenticity and its integrity and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.