Page 21 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Corfu & the Ionian Islands

Achílleion Palace, Corfu ❮❮ 19

ACHÍLLES
The empress Elisabeth
dedicated the Achílleion
Palace to the ancient
warrior Achílles, famous
for his role in the Battle
of Troy, where he killed
the Trojan hero Hector.
As the story goes, the
Kaiser’s Room
Palace
5 7 newborn Achílles was
immersed in the River
Collection
Known as Kaiser’s
Room, the office of Kaiser of Paintings Styx by his mother. This
made him invin cible,
Wilhelm II, the very last The palace has a rich apart from the heel
empe r or of Germany, is collection of paintings by where she had held him.
located on the ground artists of the period that Achílles survived many
floor. Displayed in the includes portraits of Sissi battles, but at Troy the
room are the Kaiser’s and Wilhelm II, and warrior Paris fatally shot
personal belongings, Achilles’ Triumph (above) him in his heel.
including docu ments, by Austrian artist Franz
furniture, portraits and Matsch (1861–1942).
Statues of
a collection of medals. 8
Goddesses
Empress 6 in the Gardens
Elisabeth’s Statues of important
Catholic Chapel Greek mytho log ical
This tiny chapel (right), figures also adorn the
featuring an icon of the palace’s gar dens. Among
Virgin Mary, is where them are the goddesses
Princess Sissi is said to Artemis, the deity of
have prayed. It lies just forests and hunting,
off the main entrance who is seen standing
hall of the palace , and upright and defiant,
is decorated with a and the alluring
beautiful ceiling fresco. Aphrodite, goddess
of love and beauty.
NEED TO KNOW Statues of Hera and Zeus
MAP D4 • Gastouri, on 9
Princess Sissi adored Greek mythology and
the outskirts of Corfu commis sioned statues of gods to be placed around
Town • 26610 56245 the palace. These include the statues of Hera and
• www.achillion-corfu.gr
Zeus, which stand at the foot of the majestic mar ble
Open Apr–Oct: 8am– stair case lead ing up to the first floor.
7pm daily; Nov–Mar:
Statue of the Dying Achílles
9am–3:30pm daily 0
Adm €7 One of the most impressive
statues in the gardens is the Dying
• There are wonderful Achílles (right), by the 19th-century
views of southern Corfu German sculptor Ernst Herter.
from the hilltop gardens The large bronze depicts the
above the palace. wounded Achílles trying to
• There are a few remove an arrow from
tavernas in the village his heel and forms
and a kiosk near the the garden’s
entrance to the palace centrepiece.
that sells soft drinks
and snacks.

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