Museum of Asian Art
The Palace of St. Michael and St. George was built for the British Lord High Commissioner in 1819 and, when British rule ended with the unification of the Ionian Islands with Greece in 1864, became a residence of the Greek Royal family. Staterooms now house one of Europe’s finest collections of Asian art, an unexpected delight to come upon in Corfu. Samurai swords, Noh masks, and Chinese porcelains were amassed by Corfiot diplomats and merchants in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Exotic trees bloom in the palace gardens that overlook the bay and the sea lanes into the harbor, and a cafe shows works by contemporary artists. The royal family, whose members included England’s Prince Philip, used to slip down the iron staircase at the end of the garden to take a dip in the waters below.
The Palace of St. Michael and St. George was built for the British Lord High Commissioner in 1819 and, when British rule ended with the unification of the Ionian Islands with Greece in 1864, became a residence of the Greek Royal family. Staterooms now house one of Europe’s finest collections of Asian art, an unexpected delight to come upon in Corfu. Samurai swords, Noh masks, and Chinese porcelains were amassed by Corfiot diplomats and merchants in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Exotic trees bloom in the palace gardens that overlook the bay and the sea lanes into the harbor, and a cafe shows works by contemporary artists. The royal family, whose members included England’s Prince Philip, used to slip down the iron staircase at the end of the garden to take a dip in the waters below.
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