Editing Corfu (section)

===Roman and medieval history===
[[File:Pontikonisi Island 05-06-06.jpg|thumb|left|[[Pontikonisi]] island is home of the monastery of ''Pantokrator'' (Μοναστήρι του Παντοκράτορος). The Greek word Ποντικονήσι (''pontikonissi'') means "mouse island"; the white staircase of the monastery resembles from afar a mouse tail.]]
Christianity arrived in Corfu early; two disciples of [[Saint Paul]], Jason of Tarsus and Sosipatrus of Patras, taught the Gospel, and according to tradition the city of Corfu and much of the island converted to Christianity. Their relics were housed in the old cathedral (at the site of the current Old Fortress, before a dedicated church was built for them {{circa|100 AD}}.{{sfn|Leontsini|2014|pp=26–27}}

During [[Late Antiquity]] (late Roman/early Byzantine period), the island formed part of the province of [[Epirus Vetus]] in the [[praetorian prefecture of Illyricum]].{{sfn|Leontsini|2014|pp=28–29}} In 551, during the [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic War]], the [[Ostrogoths]] raided the island and destroyed the city of Corfu, then known as ''Chersoupolis'' (Χερσούπολις, "city on the promontory") because of its location between Garitsa Bay and Kanoni. Over the next centuries, the main settlement was moved north, to the location of the current Old Fortress, where the rocky hills offered natural protection against raids. From the twin peaks of the new site, the medieval city received its new name, ''Korypho'' (Κορυφώ, "city on the peak") or ''Korphoi'' (Κορφοί, "peaks"), whence the modern Western name of "Corfu". The previous site of the city, now known as ''Palaiopolis'' (Παλαιόπολις, "old city"), continued to be inhabited for several centuries, however.{{sfn|Leontsini|2014|pp=32–33}}

From at least the early 9th century, Corfu and the other Ionian Islands formed part of the [[theme (Byzantine district)|theme]] of [[Cephallenia (theme)|Cephallenia]].{{sfn|Leontsini|2014|pp=30–31}} This naval theme provided a defensive bulwark for Byzantium against western threats, but also played a major role in securing the sealanes to the Byzantine [[Catepanate of Italy|possessions in southern Italy]]. Indeed, traveller reports from throughout the middle Byzantine period (8th–12th centuries) make clear that Corfu was "an important staging post for travels between East and West".{{sfn|Leontsini|2014|pp=31–32, 33–34}} Indeed, the medieval name of Corfu first appears (Latinized ''Coryphus'') in [[Liutprand of Cremona]]'s account of his 968 embassy to the Byzantine court.{{sfn|Leontsini|2014|p=35}} Corfu enjoyed relative peace and safety during the [[Macedonian dynasty]] (867–1054), which allowed the construction of a monumental church to Saints Iason and Sosipatrus outside the city wall of Palaiopolis.{{sfn|Leontsini|2014|p=35}} Nevertheless, in 933, the city, led by its archbishop, Arsenios, withstood a [[Saracen]] attack; Arsenios was canonized and became the city's [[patron saint]].{{sfn|Leontsini|2014|p=34}}

The peace and prosperity of the Macedonian era ended with another Saracen attack in 1033, but more importantly with the emergence of a new threat: following the [[Norman conquest of Southern Italy]], the ambitious Norman monarchs set their sights on expansion in the East. Three times on the space of a century Corfu was the first target and served as a staging area for the [[Byzantine–Norman wars|Norman invasions of Byzantium]]. The first Norman occupation from 1081 to 1084 was ended only after the Byzantine emperor [[Alexios I Komnenos]] secured the aid of the [[Republic of Venice]], in exchange to wide-ranging commercial concessions to Venetian merchants. The admiral [[George of Antioch]] captured Corfu again in 1147, and it took a ten-month siege for [[Manuel I Komnenos]] to recover the island in 1149. In the third invasion in 1185, the island was again captured by [[William II of Sicily]], but was soon regained by [[Isaac II Angelos]].{{sfn|Leontsini|2014|pp=36–38}}

During the break-up of the [[Byzantine Empire]] the island was occupied by [[Genoa|Genoese]] privateers (1197–1207), who in turn were expelled by the Venetians. In 1214 it passed to the Greek [[despotate of Epirus|despots of Epirus]],<ref name=EB1911/> who gave it to [[Manfred of Sicily]] as a dowry in 1259.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Runciman |first1=Steven |title=The Sicilian Vespers |url=https://archive.org/details/sicilianvesperst00runc |url-access=registration |date=1958 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-1-107-60474-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/sicilianvesperst00runc/page/43 43]}}</ref> At his death in 1267 it passed to the [[Capetian House of Anjou|House of Anjou]]. Thus, Corfu became a part of the Angevin [[Kingdom of Albania (medieval)|Kingdom of Albania]] that was established and ruled by Frankish [[Charles I of Anjou|Charles of Anjou]] of the royal [[Capetian dynasty]].<ref>Hazard, H. W. (2017). A History of the Crusades, Volume 2: The Later Crusades, 1189-1311. USA: University of Pennsylvania Press, Incorporated, p. 260</ref> Under the latter, the island suffered considerably from the inroads of various adventurers.<ref name=EB1911/>

The island was one of the first places in Europe in which [[Romani people]] settled. In about 1360, a [[fiefdom]], called the ''[[Feudum Acinganorum]]'' was established, with mainly Romani [[serf]]s.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rPxA6JA49B4C&q=%22Feudum+Acinganorum%22&pg=PA108 |page=108 |title=Bright Balkan Morning: Romani Lives and the Power of Music in Greek Macedonia |isbn=9780819564887 |date=9 December 2002 |last1=Keil |first1=Charles |last2=Keil |first2=Angeliki |last3=Feld |first3=Steven|publisher=Wesleyan University Press }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qHUdwpiYCtIC&q=%22Feudum+Acinganorum%22&pg=PA50 |pages=50–51 |title=The Gypsies |isbn=9780631196051 |date=23 February 1995 |last1=Fraser |first1=Angus|publisher=Wiley }}</ref> From 1386, Corfu was controlled by the [[Republic of Venice]], which in 1401 acquired formal sovereignty and retained it until the French Occupation of 1797.<ref name=EB1911/> Corfu became central for the propagation of the activities of the [[Filiki Etaireia]] among the [[Greek Diaspora]] and philhellenic societies across Europe, through nobles like [[Ioannis Kapodistrias]] and [[Dionysios Romas]].