Entering the Ionian: The Island of Corfu

The small natural harbour of Kassiopi is located in the north-east of Corfu (Fig. 1). The area has been inhabited since the 4th or the 2nd century bc and it was a thriving city during the Roman period.3 The castle, which still lies in ruins on top of the hill above the port, was built on the debris of a Roman one in the Byzantine era, most probably during the 12th century, and was destroyed by the Venetians in 1386, when they occupied the port of Kassiopi.4 From the Early Christian period the church of the Virgin Kassopitra stood near the harbour, on a spot visible from the ships passing by (Fig. 2). The port and the church of the Virgin in Kassiopi are examined separately from the town of Corfu, not only because they are treated this way by the travellers and pilgrims, but also because of their importance in the pilgrims’ holy itinerary. Located 37 km away, and hardly accessible by land, and 18 nautical