Editing Corfu (section)

===Patron Saint Spyridon===
[[File:Carrer i campanar de l'església de sant Espiridó, Corfú.JPG|thumb|The bell tower of the [[Saint Spyridon Church]] can be seen in the background among the busy {{Transliteration|grc|kantounia}} of the city centre. On top of the stores are apartments with balconies. It is from these type of balconies that Corfiots throw ''botides'', clay pots, to celebrate the Resurrection during Easter festivities.]]

[[Saint Spyridon]] the [[Thaumaturgy|Thaumaturgist]] (Miracle-worker, Θαυματουργός) is the [[patron saint]] (πολιούχος) of the city and the island. St. Spyridon is revered for the miracle of expelling the plague (πανώλη) from the island, among many other miracles attributed to him. It is believed by the faithful that on its way from the island the plague scratched one of the fortification stones of the old citadel to indicate its fury at being expelled; to St. Spyridon is also attributed the role of saving the island at the [[Siege of Corfu (1716)|second great siege of Corfu in 1716]].<ref name="Holland2012">{{cite book |author=Robert Holland |title=Blue-Water Empire: The British in the Mediterranean since 1800 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8QRXc7pr9DQC&pg=PT506 |date=26 January 2012 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-1-84614-555-1 |page=506}}</ref><ref name="Freely2008">{{cite book |author=John Freely |title=The Ionian Islands: Corfu, Cephalonia and Beyond |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9VIBAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA44 |date=30 April 2008 |publisher=I.B.Tauris |isbn=978-0-85771-828-0 |page=44}}</ref> The legend says that the sight of St. Spyridon approaching Ottoman forces bearing a flaming torch in one hand and a cross in the other caused [[panic]].<ref name="History of Corfu"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Essential Corfu |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=38kVAQAAMAAJ |year=1995 |publisher=AA Publishing |isbn=978-0-7495-0921-7 |page=11 |quote=A dreadful storm - coupled with the rumour that St Spyridon was threatening the Turkish army with a flaming torch - broke the Turks' ...}}</ref><ref name="Lor1978">{{cite book |author=Michael Pratt, Lor |title=Britain's Greek Empire: Reflections on the History of the Ionian Islands from the Fall of Byzantium |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ekkAAAAYAAJ |year=1978 |publisher=[[Rex Collings]] |isbn=978-0-86036-025-4 |page=47 |quote=refers to the 1716 siege, when Spyridon is meant to have frightened away the Turks;}}</ref> The legend also states that the Saint caused a tempest which was partly responsible for repulsing the Ottomans.<ref name="FacarosPauls2007">{{cite book |author1=Dana Facaros |author2=Michael Pauls |title=The Greek Islands |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qaRK8RM3Z0cC&pg=PA450 |year=2007 |publisher=New Holland Publishers |isbn=978-1-86011-325-3 |page=450}}</ref> This victory over the Ottomans, therefore, was attributed not only to the leadership of Count [[Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg|Schulenburg]] who commanded the stubborn defence of the island against Ottoman forces, but also to the miraculous intervention of St. Spyridon. Venice honoured von der Schulenburg and the Corfiots for successfully defending the island. Recognizing St. Spyridon's role in the defence of the island Venice legislated the establishment of the litany (λιτανεία) of St Spyridon on 11 August as a commemoration of the miraculous event, inaugurating a tradition that continues to this day.<ref name="History of Corfu"/> In 1716 [[Antonio Vivaldi]], on commission by the republic of Venice, composed the [[oratorio]] [[Juditha triumphans]] to commemorate this great event. ''Juditha triumphans'' was first performed in November 1716 in [[Venice]] by the orchestra and choir of the [[Ospedale della Pietà]] and is described as Vivaldi's first great oratorio.<ref name="Baroque music">{{cite web |url=http://www.baroquemusic.org/bqxvivaldi.html |title=Baroque Music |access-date=20 October 2007 |archive-date=26 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126191907/http://www.baroquemusic.org/bqxvivaldi.html |url-status=dead}} ''As far as his theatrical activities were concerned, the end of 1716 was a high point for Vivaldi. In November, he managed to have the Ospedale della Pietà perform his first great oratorio, Juditha Triumphans devicta Holofernis barbaric {{sic}}. This work was an allegorical description of the victory of the Venetians (the Christians) over the Turks (the barbarians) in August 1716.''</ref>
Hence Spyridon is a popular first name for Greek males born on the island and/or to islanders.