΄Apidalos Nafs΄ at the New Port roundabout
Corfu Port
01 Nov 2019
/ 12:33
CORFU. The work at the roundabout has been through hell and high water. After constant problems with the contractor it at least became functional two years ago.
It brought some relief to the traffic at the port but nevertheless the central part of the roundabout remained incomplete.
The resumption of work by the third contractor in a row, however, brought a pleasant surprise. The original plan was for a sculpture or work of art plus a fountain but the Central Archaeological Committee (KAS) only gave permission for a work of art. This is the famous ' Apidalos Nafs' (Ship without steering oars) the Homeric symbol of the Phaeacian Island.
The roundabout will shortly also be filled with soil and grass planted. Following that work will be completed on the eastern entrance gate for domestic ferry services.
Homer refers to the Phaeacians and their King Alcinous in his work "The Odyssey". The famous ship without steering oars is referred to in Rhapsody 8 - a symbol of the seamanship of the ancient Phaeacians as well as their spirituality.
The ship has been adopted by the modern Municipality of Corfu as its symbol.
The work of art which has been placed in the roundabout had already been in the port near the Corfu Port Authority building. It is a metal construction created by the Swiss artist Cleo Brenner and Kostas Panaretos. On the stone base there is a marble plaque with the following carved on it:
ΑΠΗΔΑΛΟΣ ΝΑΥΣ
ΠΛΟΙΟ ΧΩΡΙΣ ΠΗΔΑΛΙΟ - SHIP WITHUT STEERING OARS
ΟΜΗΡΟΥ ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙΑ
"εἰπὲ δέ μοι γαῖάν τε: τεὴν δῆμόν τε πόλιν τε,
ὄφρα σε τῇ πέμπωσι τιτυσκόμεναι φρεσὶ νῆες:
οὐ γὰρ Φαιήκεσσι κυβερνητῆρες ἔασιν,
οὐδέ τι πηδάλι᾿ ἔστι, τά τ᾿ ἄλλαι νῆες ἔχουσιν:
ἀλλ᾿ αὐταὶ ἴσασι νοήματα καὶ φρένας ἀνδρῶν,
καὶ πάντων ἴσασι πόλιας καὶ πίονας ἀγροὺς
ἀνθρώπων, καὶ λαῖτμα τάχισθ᾿ ἁλὸς ἐκπερόωσιν
ἠέρι καὶ νεφέλῃ κεκαλυμμέναι: οὐδέ ποτέ σφιν
οὔτε τι πημανθῆναι ἔπι δέος οὔτ᾿ ἀπολέσθαι."
Το απόσπασμα προέρχεται από τη ραψωδία Θ΄ της Οδύσσειας του Ομήρου
(extract from Homer's Odyssey Rhapsody 8)
ΤΟ ΟΜΗΡΙΚΟ ΚΑΡΑΒΙ ΤΩΝ ΦΑΙΑΚΩΝ
THE HOMERIC SHIP OF THE PHAEACIANS
ΚΛΕΙΩ ΜΠΡΕΝΝΕΡ - ΚΩΣΤΑΣ ΠΑΝΑΡΕΤΟΣ
2013
CERAMIC ART
The resumption of work by the third contractor in a row, however, brought a pleasant surprise. The original plan was for a sculpture or work of art plus a fountain but the Central Archaeological Committee (KAS) only gave permission for a work of art. This is the famous ' Apidalos Nafs' (Ship without steering oars) the Homeric symbol of the Phaeacian Island.
The roundabout will shortly also be filled with soil and grass planted. Following that work will be completed on the eastern entrance gate for domestic ferry services.
Homer refers to the Phaeacians and their King Alcinous in his work "The Odyssey". The famous ship without steering oars is referred to in Rhapsody 8 - a symbol of the seamanship of the ancient Phaeacians as well as their spirituality.
The ship has been adopted by the modern Municipality of Corfu as its symbol.
The work of art which has been placed in the roundabout had already been in the port near the Corfu Port Authority building. It is a metal construction created by the Swiss artist Cleo Brenner and Kostas Panaretos. On the stone base there is a marble plaque with the following carved on it:
ΑΠΗΔΑΛΟΣ ΝΑΥΣ
ΠΛΟΙΟ ΧΩΡΙΣ ΠΗΔΑΛΙΟ - SHIP WITHUT STEERING OARS
ΟΜΗΡΟΥ ΟΔΥΣΣΕΙΑ
"εἰπὲ δέ μοι γαῖάν τε: τεὴν δῆμόν τε πόλιν τε,
ὄφρα σε τῇ πέμπωσι τιτυσκόμεναι φρεσὶ νῆες:
οὐ γὰρ Φαιήκεσσι κυβερνητῆρες ἔασιν,
οὐδέ τι πηδάλι᾿ ἔστι, τά τ᾿ ἄλλαι νῆες ἔχουσιν:
ἀλλ᾿ αὐταὶ ἴσασι νοήματα καὶ φρένας ἀνδρῶν,
καὶ πάντων ἴσασι πόλιας καὶ πίονας ἀγροὺς
ἀνθρώπων, καὶ λαῖτμα τάχισθ᾿ ἁλὸς ἐκπερόωσιν
ἠέρι καὶ νεφέλῃ κεκαλυμμέναι: οὐδέ ποτέ σφιν
οὔτε τι πημανθῆναι ἔπι δέος οὔτ᾿ ἀπολέσθαι."
Το απόσπασμα προέρχεται από τη ραψωδία Θ΄ της Οδύσσειας του Ομήρου
(extract from Homer's Odyssey Rhapsody 8)
ΤΟ ΟΜΗΡΙΚΟ ΚΑΡΑΒΙ ΤΩΝ ΦΑΙΑΚΩΝ
THE HOMERIC SHIP OF THE PHAEACIANS
ΚΛΕΙΩ ΜΠΡΕΝΝΕΡ - ΚΩΣΤΑΣ ΠΑΝΑΡΕΤΟΣ
2013
CERAMIC ART
