Maitland Monument, Corfu
The Maitland Monument, also known as the Maitland Rotunda or the Peristyle of Maitland is a neoclassical monument in Corfu. It was built in 1821 to honour Sir Thomas Maitland, a British military officer who was the last Civil Commissioner and first Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands.
Maitland arrived in Corfu on 16 February 1816, and eight months later, on 25 October 1816, forty-six noble Corfiots made a proposal for the construction of a triumphal arch in his honour. The monument was eventually constructed in 1821 in a completely different form of a rotunda with twenty Ionic columns. It was designed by Colonel George Whitmore of the Royal Engineers.
Like the Palace of St. Michael and St. George, the structure was built out of limestone imported from Malta, which was a British colony at the time. Maitland had simultaneously held the positions of Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and Governor of Malta. The sculptural work was done by the local sculptor Pavlos Prosalentis.
The monument is also known as the Cistern (Greek: Στέρνα), since it is built on top of a Venetian-era underground water cistern which had been built in 1781. The two entrances of the monument allowed access to the water tank.
The Maitland Monument is visible in the 1981 Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
The monument was damaged due to erosion over the years, and it was restored in 2004.
Maitland arrived in Corfu on 16 February 1816, and eight months later, on 25 October 1816, forty-six noble Corfiots made a proposal for the construction of a triumphal arch in his honour. The monument was eventually constructed in 1821 in a completely different form of a rotunda with twenty Ionic columns. It was designed by Colonel George Whitmore of the Royal Engineers.
Like the Palace of St. Michael and St. George, the structure was built out of limestone imported from Malta, which was a British colony at the time. Maitland had simultaneously held the positions of Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and Governor of Malta. The sculptural work was done by the local sculptor Pavlos Prosalentis.
The monument is also known as the Cistern (Greek: Στέρνα), since it is built on top of a Venetian-era underground water cistern which had been built in 1781. The two entrances of the monument allowed access to the water tank.
The Maitland Monument is visible in the 1981 Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
The monument was damaged due to erosion over the years, and it was restored in 2004.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Corfu. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Maitland Monument on Map
Sight Name: Maitland Monument
Sight Location: Corfu, Greece (See walking tours in Corfu)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Sight Location: Corfu, Greece (See walking tours in Corfu)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Walking Tours in Corfu, Greece
Create Your Own Walk in Corfu
Creating your own self-guided walk in Corfu is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
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Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
The medieval castles on the island tell of struggles in the Middle Ages against invaders like Roman-era Germanic tribes, Arabs, and... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
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Artemis, in the form of Gorgon, is running as she faces the observer. Her children, Chryssaor and Pegasus, are by her... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
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