Three documents from the 18th century return to the spotlight
Three significant 18th-century documents have joined the collections of the Corfu Reading Society, offering another glimpse into the educational and intellectual history of Corfu and the Ionian Islands.
The diplomas were donated by Dr Dimitris Kourkoumellis-Rodostamos, archaeologist and Director of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, and his sister, historian Katerina Kourkoumelli-Rodostamou.
The donation consists of three doctoral diplomas belonging to members of the Rodostamos family, handwritten on parchment and bound in eight-page booklets measuring 17 × 24 cm.
Two of the diplomas are leather-bound, decorated with gold tooling and accompanied by their seals.
They were awarded by the Medical School of the University of Padua to Matthaios Rodostamos in 1734 and Antonios Rodostamos in 1756.
The third diploma, bound in card and decorated with the family coat of arms, was awarded by the Law School of the University of Padua to Ioannis-Zacharias Rodostamos in 1786.
Evidence of the intellectual history of the Ionian Islands
The three diplomas are valuable historical documents for understanding the development of medicine and law in Corfu and the Ionian Islands, as well as the education of Ionian intellectuals during the period of Venetian rule.
The collection is complemented by three inserted notes written by Dimitrios P. Kourkoumellis-Rodostamos in 1921, containing additional genealogical information about the family.
This latest donation follows an earlier contribution in 2022, when Dimitris and Katerina Kourkoumellis-Rodostamos donated a significant part of their family library and archives to the Corfu Reading Society.
Together, these documents illuminate not only the history of an important Corfiot family, but also a wider chapter in the story of Ionian scholars who travelled, studied and participated in the intellectual life of Europe.
The Administrative Committee of the Corfu Reading Society expressed its gratitude to the donors for their valuable contribution and trust.
Source & photographic material: Corfu Reading Society
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