Culture sites and tourist infrastructures that contribute to the further upgrading and promotion of Corfu as a destination for visitors as well as attracting investment were visited by the prime minister in the morning, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Prime Minister visited the Archaeological Museum of Corfuwhere he attended the presentation of the management plan (master plan) for the Old and New Fort Island’s.

The monuments are among the most important surviving works Venetian fortification architecturewith subsequent British interventions, and make it Old Town of Corfu one of the most important historical fortified settlements of the Mediterranean.

The first two projects, considered the most urgent based on the studies, have already been launched with funding from the Recovery Fund.

“You see that his resources Recovery Fund are directed to a series of actions that cover the entire Region. I say this because here we must demolish some myths that are being cultivated, that the Recovery Fund supposedly concerns only some big and powerful people.

You can see his imprint even here in Corfu. And we are ready to mobilize other additional resources in this great effort. Because the protection of such a rich cultural heritage, a city that was a crossroads of cultures that comes essentially from the depth of the centuries, is not an easy task. It’s not a cheap affair either.

It requires significant resources which must be mobilised, but which resources are the ones that will in turn allow Corfu to continue to be a unique visitor destination and of course in this way to significantly feed the local economy”, pointed out Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“Highlighting and protection of the entire Old Town of Corfu”

“Corfu is a unique living monument of culture. And at the same time, it also has the distinction, the privilege, of being classified as a World Cultural Monument by UNESCO since 2007.

The promotion and protection of the entire Old Town of Corfu, not only the two Fortresses, is a common goal, which we share as a Government with the Local Self-Government of 2nd and 1st degree, with the Region and with the Municipality.

And I am glad that today we now have a tool in our hands, a very thorough study of highlighting and protecting the two Fortresses, which, at the same time, forces us to rethink the way in which we will protect the entire Old Town of Corfu.

Which in itself is a great magnet for visitors, a great source of wealth for the island, but it also gives rise to the need to protect it and a series of obligations on the part of the State, but also on the part of all those involved in the Old Town”, noted the Prime Minister.

“We must preserve this unique World Heritage Site. This requires significant resources – some will be allocated by the Central Government, some will be allocated by the Region, some will be allocated by the Municipalities – it may also require new financial tools which we should think about looking to the future and not to the past.

But mainly what it requires is a better understanding between all the parties involved. I look forward to the active re-operation of the Old Town Management Agency, because we are already faced with challenges which cannot be postponed indefinitely.

Hypertourism and the protection of cultural heritage from hypertourism is a reality. The same source of income for the island at the same time can saw the branch we are all sitting on. And some decisions will have to be made and of course it is good that these decisions are made with the maximum possible consensus and with the support of the local community”, added Mr. Mitsotakis.

The main objectives of the plan are the protection, restoration and maintenance of the two Fortresses, while highlighting and promoting their character. At the same time, the improvement of their infrastructure and their accessibility is planned, while the central concern is the harmonious coexistence of the Fortresses with the urban fabric of the Old Town, of which they are a part, in order to preserve the quality of life of the residents.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis was also informed about the project shaping access for people with disabilities in parts of the Old Fort and Old Town, which is expected to be completed this year, within which the Archaeological Museum will additionally offer digital navigation applications for the disabled.

Earlier, Mr Prime Minister visited Villa Rossaan emblematic mansion of the 19th century that is now being restored through the rescue of the building complex, the upgrading of its functionality and the installation of modern – bioclimatic electromechanical equipment, satisfying a perennial request of the local community.

THE Villa Rossa, built in 1864 and extended in 1912, has been designated a work of art and a historic monument. After the completion of the works, the complex and its external space will be utilized as a place of culture and exhibitions.

Afterwards, Kyriakos Mitsotakis walked from Liston Square to the pedestrian street of Eleftherias Street, talked to shopkeepers and citizens, as well as tourists, while also lighting a candle in the Holy Church of Agios Spyridon.

The Prime Minister also visited the Municipal Gallery of the Municipality of Corfu and the Kapodistrias Museum. At the Art Gallery, he had the opportunity to see the original handwritten score of the second composition of the “Hymn to Eleftherian”, by Nikolaos Mantzaros, which is exhibited as part of the exhibition “In the Echoes of the Struggle”. In the Museum, which is housed in the historical summer house of the Kapodistrias family, Kyriakos Mitsotakis saw exhibits that chronicle the journey of the first governor of the free Greek state, from his childhood in Corfu and the development of his political activity to his assassination in Nafplio .

The prime minister also went to tourist yacht shelter in Spiliawhere he was informed about the ongoing port projects and talked to workers.

A modern infrastructure will be created at the site, which will have 80 berths for the service of boats up to 25 meters and their crews, with direct and easy access to the historic center of the city.

The project is part of a wider planning framework to attract investment and develop mooring points that will be able to welcome pleasure boats and take advantage of the strong tourist potential of the Ionian Islands as well as the opportunities offered by the Ionian Sea as a field of marine tourism, turning Corfu into central pole in the wider area.