Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands, Greece

Angelokastro

Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands, Greece

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

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Admission: Ticketed

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ReferenceKulturenvanteri↗

Angelokastro is a Byzantine castle perched 305 meters above the sea on the northwest coast of Corfu, Greece, commanding views across the southern Adriatic, the city of Corfu, and mainland Greece. Built on precipitous rocky terrain near Palaiokastritsa, it formed a crucial defensive triangle with the castles of Gardiki and Kassiopi, protecting the island's southern, northwestern, and northeastern approaches. Though its exact construction date remains uncertain—often attributed to Michael I and Michael II Komnenos—the fortress is first documented in 1272, when Giordano di San Felice claimed it for Charles of Anjou. From 1387 through the sixteenth century, it served as Corfu's official capital and seat of the Venetian Provveditore Generale del Levante, governor of the Ionian islands and commander of the Venetian fleet. Remarkably, Angelokastro never fell to conquest despite repeated Ottoman sieges and pirate assaults; local peasants sheltered within its walls and participated actively in its defense, making it instrumental in repelling invasions and preserving Corfu's independence. Today it stands as one of the most imposing architectural remains in the Ionian Islands and an important archaeological site.

Movement

Byzantine architecture

Type: castle
Heritage: archaeological site in Greece
Place: Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands, Greece

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Location

39.67839, 19.68716