Spectacular Palm Sunday in Corfu with the town bands parading together

Photo: Stamatis Katapodis

Following the Holy Eucharist on Palm Sunday every year, there is a great procession in remembrance of St. Spyridon through the Old Town with wishes being read at the old town wall and the lost Church of Saint Athanasios.

According to religious tradition, in 1630 St. Spyridon miraculously saved Corfu from the plague. The disease had been brought to Corfu in October 1629 by a ship that had come from Italy.

The town's three philharmonic bands play together

What made this year's event different from previous years was that the town's three philharmonic bands played as one unit - putting into practice the saying 'music unites'.

Following the procession that marks the official start of the Easter period, the three bands paraded as one unit along the route Bosketo - Old Palace - Liston - Nik. Theotoki - Pinia playing the march 'Corfu' by Nikolaos Fanariotis.

It was a symboli gesture confirming the continuous development of the musical groups and the spirit of cooperation and emulation between them.

The Old Philharmonic and the 'Mantzaros' Philharmonic paraded together about twenty years ago and in the pre-war period. The bands also played symbolic musical pieces together in the former brass band festivals in the 90s to celebrate May 21.

The miracles of St. Spyridon

There are four celebrations for St. Spyridon in Corfu every year in remembrance of the miracles he performed for the island's residents.

Palm Sunday in remembrance of 1630, when he saved the island from cholera.

Easter Saturday in remembrance of 1550, when he saved the island from pestilence.

The first Sunday in November (Protokyriako) in remembrance of when he saved the island from deadly cholera in 1673 and 11 August in remembrance of when he saved the island from the Turkish siege.






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