Corfu was inhabited even 10.000 ago (Grava Gardikiu, Sidari, Kefali, Afionas, Ermones).

In the year 734 B.C. Corinthians colonized Corfu. They founded a city on the peninsula Kanoni. The town flourished and was very rich; it was even the city having the biggest number of ships in ancient Greece.

In 229 B.C. Romans occupied the island, however they allowed Corfiots to preserved their rules and religion. Among the famous Romans that visited Corfu were Nero and Cicero.

In the Byzantine period the island suffered for many attempts at conquest of the island and the town was moved to the peninsula where the Old Fortress now stands.

About 100 years lasted the rule of Anjou.

In June of 1797, general Gentili took Corfu under his command. The French were greeted with great enthusiasm by the Corfiots. But the dwellers were soon much disappointed. The French not only confiscated the property of the monasteries, but they also mocked native people’s faith.

In the year of 1807, Napoleon won over the Russians and the Prussians, and according to the agreement of Tilsit of 1807, he re-gained Corfu and the other islands of the Ionian Sea. England besieged and seized Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Ithaca and in 1810, also Lefkada. In 1810, England besieged Corfu as well, but was not successful.
In this period, there is built a lot of public works and the sector of public services is founded. The Frenchman Donzelo repaired the fortresses, built a new bastion and for the first time potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants were imported to Corfu-until then the Corfiots didn’t know these kinds of vegetable. In addition, it was then, when the trees at the Spianada Square were planted. The second French Dominion was preferred to the first.
In 1814, after the defeat of Napoleon, French gave Corfu to England.

After the Battle of Waterloo, the Ionian Islands, which formed the “The United States of the Ionian Islands”, were given under the protection of England.
The official language of the union was Greek. The first commissioner was Thomas Maitland. He managed to accumulate a lot of power. Moreover, he was against the Greek Rebellion and punished severely anyone who attempted to help. These facts lead the people to loathe him. Maitland was followed by Frederick Adam, who constructed an aqueduct and built a big part of the road system. He also abrogated the rules of Maitland concerning the punishment and prohibition to help the rebellion. Other known commissioners are Douglas and Gladstone.
In this period, schools in the countryside are founded. However, children do not usually attend school; the major part of the population is illiterate. The only person who knows how to read and write is the priest. In 1824, was founded the Ionian Academy, as well. It was the first institute of higher education ever founded in Greece. In the beginning, there were the faculties of Theology, Law, Philosophy and Medicine. Later, the Academy was expanded. In the year of 1864, when Ionian Islands were united with Greece, the Ionian Academy was closed.