Museum is now closed
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND – The kingdoms of Sicily and Naples
Despite Corfu’s proximity to mainland Greece, where Jewish communities have existed since ancient times, the Jewish presence on the island was first recorded by...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND – Venetian rule
In 1387 Corfu fell under Venetian domination. In 1492 expelled Jews from the Iberian Peninsula arrived to the island, while in 1494 more came...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND – French and British rule
In June 1797, after 411 years of Venetian rule, Corfu came under rule of the Republican French of Napoleon Bonaparte. In the spirit of...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND- Union with Greece
The Treaty of London (29 March 1864) recognised the Ionian Islands as a greek province. The High Commissioner officially proclaimed the Union of the...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND – The antisemitic events of 1891
After the union of the Ionian Islands with Greece, the constantly improving of the standing of the Corfiot Jews, both financially and culturally, irritated...
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND – War, German occupation and the Holocaust
During the Second World War, the Ionian Islands were initially under Italian occupation. After the Italian surrender in 1943, the Germans, having destroyed many...
RELIGIOUS LIFE – The Apulian synagogues
Information on the Corfiot synagogues is scarce, unclear and often contradictory. We know there were three synagogues on the island, as well as one...
RELIGIOUS LIFE – The Romaniote synagogue
The Romaniote community used the Scuola Greca or Tempio Greco Synagogue. It can be dated to the beginning of the 17th century and, the...
RELIGIOUS LIFE – Synagogual ritual objects
Only a small number of ritual objects and textiles from Corfu’s synagogues is still extant, but archival photos of the synagogues’ interior can give...
RELIGIOUS LIFE – The Jewish cemeteries
The lack of archival material leaves many questions unanswered on the history of Corfu’s Jewish cemeteries, especially concerning modern times.
The old Pugliesi cemetery was located...
