Church of Saint Ioannis the Precursor, Corfu

The Church of Saint Ioannis the Precursor is a historic religious site located in Corfu, Greece. Built in the 15th century (1480), the church follows the architectural style of one-aisle royal churches with a wooden tiled roof, which is typical of the other churches in Corfu. The exterior of the church is simple without shutters in the windows, with the bell tower and the roof in stages as the characteristic architectural elements of the temple.

Saint Ioannis the Precursor of Kerkyra was one of the first Cathedral Temples of the Great Head Priests. Many distinguished priests have served in this temple, including Nikiforos Theotokis and Anastasios Avlonitis. Until 1717, the church of Agios Ioannis was the seat of the Great Patriarchs.

Inside the church, visitors will be amazed by the heavenly ceiling painted by the Corfu painter Spyridon Sperantzas in 1773. The step doors of Emmanuel Tzane and the icons of the iconographers of the Iptanesian school, Chrysoloras and Tzenou, also stand out. The iconostasis of the church is made of Corfu marble and the bread of the Holy Altar is of Russian art. The church also houses an altar where the relics of Saint John Chrysostom and Saint John Damascene are kept.

Many famous people from Corfu have attended the church, including Ioannis Kapodistrias, Dionysios Solomos, Iakovos Polylas, and Nikolaos Mantzaros. The church has been associated with the name of the scholar and ecclesiastical orator, Nikiforos Theotokis, who preached in this church for many years. His sermons from the pulpit gathered a large number of people, and in the small museum of the temple, his priestly uniform and his episcopal cross are exhibited.