Monastery of Agioi Theodoroi Stratias
The Monastery of Agioi Theodoroi Stratias was founded around 1500 and operates continuously until nowadays. It is located in the archaeological region of Palaiopoli and next to it in the west, are situated the ruins of the ancient Doric Temple of Artemis Gorgon (590-580 B.C.).
The Monastery of Agioi Theodoroi Stratias was built in the ruins of an Early Christian basilica monastery of the 5th century. Materials from the old, Christian monastery as well as from the ancient pagan one were used for its construction. It was one of the wealthiest Nunneries and it is there that women of the upper classes of Corfu became nuns, during the Venetian rule. It is of particular interest and is a remarkable monument with important icons of Byzantine and post-Byzantine era.
In 1797 when French Democrats took over Corfu, they installed in the Monastery of Agioi Theodoroi Stratias their military guard and used some of its cells as military prisons. In 1915 the Monastery of Agioi Theodoroi Stratias suffered severe damages from a fire which destroyed a part of its cells. It also suffered significant damages from the Italian and German bombardments during World War II. In recent years the Monastery of Agioi Theodoroi Stratias has been renovated and stands impressively in a verdant environment full of olive trees.
