# The Annunziata and the Lost Churches of Corfu > Annunziata Corfu: the history of the surviving bell tower, the 1943 bombing and the lost churches of Corfu Town, plus where to see what remains. URL: https://theauthenticgreece.com/lost-churches-of-corfu/ Last updated: 2026-10-30 --- The Annunziata is a solitary stone bell tower standing at a street junction in Corfu Town, all that is left of a Catholic monastery church that was consecrated in 1394 and burned out in the German air raid of September 1943. It is the most visible survivor of a long list of churches that Corfu Town has lost to war, fire and redevelopment. Walk past it with a little history in mind and the old town starts to look rather different: full of gaps where churches used to be. ## Quick facts - **What:** the restored bell tower of the Annunziata (Evangelismos) monastery, plus the remains and sites of other lost churches. - **Where:** the Annunziata stands at the junction of Evgeniou Voulgareos and Vrahlioti streets, a few minutes from the Spianada. - **Time needed:** 10 minutes at the tower; an hour or so to link it with the other sites on a walk. - **Cost:** free to view from the street. - **Good for:** history lovers, return visitors who have already seen the main sights. ## Churches everywhere Corfu Town has an extraordinary density of churches. Orthodox and Catholic places of worship sit a few streets apart, a legacy of four centuries of Venetian rule followed by French and British administration, and of a population that included Greek Orthodox, Latin Catholic and Jewish communities. The best known, Saint Spyridon with its red domed bell tower and the Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral near the Old Port, are on every visitor’s route. Many others were less fortunate. Some burned in 1943, some were demolished to open up streets and squares, and some simply fell out of use and decayed. For the wider story of the town, see our [Corfu Old Town guide](https://theauthenticgreece.com/corfu-old-town/). ## The Annunziata ### A Catholic monastery in the heart of town The Annunziata, known in Greek as Evangelismos or Anountsiata, was founded during the Angevin period, before Venice took control of the island in 1386, and consecrated in January 1394. It was a monastery of the Augustinian order and one of the most important Latin churches in Corfu. Its connection with the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 gave it a special place in the memory of the town: Corfiots killed in that great naval battle against the Ottoman fleet were buried within the complex, together with Venetian officials who served on the island. ### The night of 13 to 14 September 1943 After Italy surrendered in September 1943, the German army moved against the Italian garrison on Corfu, and on the night of 13 to 14 September German aircraft dropped incendiary bombs on the old town. Whole blocks burned. The Annunziata was gutted, and the bones of the Lepanto dead were exposed in the ruins; they were later collected and reburied in the Catholic cemetery. The shell of the church remained standing for a few years, but in 1953 the municipality demolished almost everything except the bell tower and a fragment of the church, despite protests. ### The restored bell tower For decades the tower stood half ruined and propped up, a familiar but sad sight on the way into the old town. Restoration by the Corfu Ephorate of Antiquities, funded by EU development programmes, ran for several years, and the scaffolding and protective sheeting finally came off in April 2025. Wall paintings recovered from the site have been conserved, and some are displayed in the Old Fortress. There is no interior to visit; the tower is a monument to be seen from the street, and it photographs best in the late afternoon. ## Other lost churches of Corfu Town The Annunziata is the best documented case, but it is far from the only one. The following were all part of the town’s religious landscape and have either vanished or survive only as ruins. ### Panagia Odigitria and the 1943 losses The same raid of September 1943 destroyed the church of Panagia Odigitria, an old Orthodox church that had already survived a serious fire in the 18th century, as well as the churches of the Holy Trinity and the Archangels. The Ionian Academy, the Municipal Theatre and much of the Jewish quarter burned on the same night. A few churches were later restored, notably the Pantokrator in the Campiello area and Agios Eleftherios, but the others were lost for good. Saint Spyridon, where thousands of people sheltered, escaped damage, which many Corfiots attribute to the saint himself. ### The Evangelistria in the Lemonia area Around the small square known locally as Lemonia, near Nikiforou Theotoki Street, the ruins of another church of the Annunciation, also called the Evangelistria, can still be made out. It is recorded from the 18th century, though probably older, and it too was destroyed in 1943. Unlike the Annunziata, it has never been restored, and the ruins are easy to miss unless you know to look. ### Churches cleared for streets and squares Not every loss was caused by war. During the British period in the 19th century, new streets were cut through the old fabric and open spaces were enlarged, and several churches were demolished in the process. Among them was the Catholic church of the Madonna del Rosario, an 18th century building. A church dedicated to the Virgin, known as the Kera Platytera, is said to have stood on the Upper Spianada, close to where the bandstand is now, and existed by the 16th century. Corfu also has a better known Platytera monastery, the one on the edge of town where Ioannis Kapodistrias is buried, which survives and is a different building. You can read more about the British reshaping of the town in our guide to French and British Corfu. ### Agia Aikaterini, a church brought back One story ends more happily. After the Venetian city of Candia (Heraklion) on Crete fell to the Ottomans in 1669, many Cretans settled in Corfu, among them a learned monk who paid for the building of a church of Agia Aikaterini at the end of the 17th century. It once held notable icons, but its fortunes declined from the French period, when church revenues on the island were confiscated. After a long period of neglect, the complex has been restored and returned to use. ## Why so little is marked Visitors often ask why there are no signs explaining what stood where. The honest answer is that post war reconstruction prioritised housing and roads, and many sites were built over before anyone thought of marking them. Local historians and the island’s strong oral tradition keep the memory alive, and the restoration of the Annunziata tower shows that attitudes are changing, but for most of the lost churches you need to know the story to see anything at all. ## A short walk past the sites Start at the Spianada and walk into town along Evgeniou Voulgareos Street to the Annunziata tower. Continue towards Nikiforou Theotoki to look for the ruins in the Lemonia area, then climb into the [Campiello quarter](https://theauthenticgreece.com/campiello-corfu/) to see the restored Pantokrator and the gaps left by the bombing. Finish at Saint Spyridon Church, the church that survived. The whole loop takes about an hour at a gentle pace and fits easily into our [Corfu Town walking route](https://theauthenticgreece.com/corfu-town-walking-route/). ## Practical tips - **Access:** the Annunziata tower and the other ruins are seen from the street; there is no ticketed site or interior. - **Churches that are open:** working churches in town usually open in the morning and again in the late afternoon, with a closure in the middle of the day. Times vary, so do not count on any particular hour. - **Dress:** cover shoulders and knees when entering any working church, Orthodox or Catholic. - **Old Fortress:** if you want to see the wall paintings from the Annunziata, check what is on display when you visit the Old Fortress, as exhibitions change. - **Photography:** the tower stands at a busy junction; early morning gives the clearest view without traffic. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the Annunziata in Corfu? It is the surviving bell tower of a Catholic monastery church of the Annunciation, consecrated in 1394 and run by the Augustinian order. The church burned in the German bombing of September 1943 and was demolished in 1953, leaving only the tower. ### Where is the Annunziata bell tower? It stands at the junction of Evgeniou Voulgareos and Vrahlioti streets in Corfu Old Town, a few minutes on foot from the Spianada. You see it from the street; there is no interior to visit. ### What is the connection between the Annunziata and Lepanto? Corfiots who died at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 were buried in the monastery complex. Their remains were exposed when the church burned in 1943 and were later reburied in the Catholic cemetery of Corfu. ### Which churches in Corfu Town were destroyed in 1943? The German incendiary raid of 13 to 14 September 1943 destroyed the Annunziata, Panagia Odigitria, the Holy Trinity and the Archangels, among others. Some damaged churches, such as the Pantokrator in Campiello, were later restored. Saint Spyridon survived intact. ### Has the Annunziata bell tower been restored? Yes. After several years of conservation work by the Ephorate of Antiquities, the protective covering was removed in April 2025 and the restored tower is now on view. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the Annunziata in Corfu? It is the surviving bell tower of a Catholic monastery church of the Annunciation, consecrated in 1394 and run by the Augustinian order. The church burned in the German bombing of September 1943 and was demolished in 1953, leaving only the tower. ### Where is the Annunziata bell tower? It stands at the junction of Evgeniou Voulgareos and Vrahlioti streets in Corfu Old Town, a few minutes on foot from the Spianada. You see it from the street; there is no interior to visit. ### What is the connection between the Annunziata and Lepanto? Corfiots who died at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 were buried in the monastery complex. Their remains were exposed when the church burned in 1943 and were later reburied in the Catholic cemetery of Corfu. ### Which churches in Corfu Town were destroyed in 1943? The German incendiary raid of 13 to 14 September 1943 destroyed the Annunziata, Panagia Odigitria, the Holy Trinity and the Archangels, among others. Some damaged churches, such as the Pantokrator in Campiello, were later restored. Saint Spyridon survived intact. ### Has the Annunziata bell tower been restored? Yes. After several years of conservation work by the Ephorate of Antiquities, the protective covering was removed in April 2025 and the restored tower is now on view.