📍 Address: 120 Kapodistriou Street, 49100, Corfu, Greece
📞 Phone: +30 26610 39528
📘 Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064493147956
🌐 Website:
https://anagnostiki-etairia-kerkyras.eu/
The Reading Society of Corfu is the oldest intellectual institution in Greece, operating continuously since 1836.
Born from the liberal Western European ideas of the early 19th century, it developed a strong social, educational, political, and patriotic character, holding a significant position in the intellectual and social life of the Ionian region.
Its members have included prominent personalities such as Dionysios Solomos, Andreas Kalvos, Iakovos Polylas, Lorentzos Mavilis, and Konstantinos Theotokis.
Since the early 20th century, it has been housed in its privately owned emblematic two-storey 18th-century building, located on the eastern side of Corfu’s Old Town, featuring museum-style halls.
It maintains a rich specialized library (over 50,000 volumes, including rare editions from the 16th to the 19th century), as well as unique archival collections (manuscripts, maps, newspapers, works of art, photographs).
Since 1969, it has published the scientific journal “Bulletin of the Reading Society of Corfu” and other books of Ionian interest. It maintains close relations with intellectual institutions in Greece and abroad, intervening responsibly in important cultural matters.
Today, it has approximately 450 members and is administered by a Governing Committee elected every two years.
Main Objectives
A. The research, study, promotion, and dissemination of Ionian culture in all its aspects.
B. The further organization and enrichment of its specialized library and collections.
C. The organization of scientific conferences, lectures, concerts, exhibitions, and educational programs.
D. The preservation and digitization of rare editions and unique archival material.
E. The use of modern multimedia tools for the dissemination of knowledge to the global research community and the engagement of younger generations.
F. The strengthening of collaborations with the academic community and corresponding institutions in Greece and abroad.
