Tatyana Peschanskaya
Doctor, Candidate of Medical Sciences,
passionate traveler and our regular author.
White city on the water
In May 2012, the inauguration of the new modern ship “Costa Fascinosa” took place, which from Italian translates as “admiration”. I was incredibly lucky that on the first cruise to the holy places, including Italy, Greece, Israel, Turkey and Croatia, they invited me as well. The liner “Costa Fascinosa” (“Costa Fascinosa”) is a huge floating city, which simultaneously accepts up to 5000 people. On the ship: 1508 cabins, 5 restaurants, 13 bars, 5 jacuzzis and 4 pools, the unusual Samsara spa (6000 sq. Meters) with thalassotherapy, a swimming pool, a sauna, a solarium and a gym. There is also a casino, a race car simulator, a 4D wall, Taatr Sporting Center and other entertainment.
In order to go on a cruise, we flew to Venice, which met us with beautiful May weather, and two hours after arrival we boarded the ship. A training alert was conducted for all passengers to familiarize themselves with the safety rules on board. At about six o’clock in the evening we left the port, and navigation passed along the Canal of Judecca, which takes its name from the island of the same name, which is one of the quarters of Venice. Then we entered the bay of San Marco, leaving the square of the same name and the island of St. Jeruža behind and paying tribute to the famous bell tower about 110 meters high and the antique basilica of the XIV century. Following along the coast of Delli Schiavoni and then St. Helena, we, along the St. Nicholas canal, went to the fortress of St. Andrew and the island of Lido, where the famous film festival takes place. Leaving the port, the ship went into the open sea and headed south.
To Nicholas the Wonderworker
With the first rays of the sun we entered the channel separating the islands of Pianosa and Pelogor. Then they moored in the port of Bari. It is known for the relics of St. Nicholas, which is why it is the center of Orthodox pilgrimage in the West.
The historical center (the so-called "Old Bari") has a thousand-year history and is opposed to the ordered quarter of the eighteenth century. After Byzantine rule in 1071, the Normans conquered Bari. Between the 12th and 14th centuries, the city is the starting point for the Crusades.
During the Second World War, the port of Bari becomes one of the most active and important. The city survived two severe disasters of the fleet: February 2, 1943 and April 9, 1945. The Bari Bombing is known as one of the most tragic bombings of the fleet of World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Then 17 ships were sunk in the wake of Bari.
I have been to the city of Bari many times, but I always tremble to this holy land and try to visit the Bari Basilica once again. The main treasures of the Basilica are the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and all Christians in the world (and not only them) know about it.
The world, exuded by relics and called here "manna", is carried by pilgrims to various corners of the world, bringing people (through prayers to the saint and faith), comfort and healing of souls and bodies. Of course, the Basilica itself, and its fabulously Romanesque appearance, and artistic decoration were created for the glory of the Miracle Worker. These are true treasures, obvious to all and appreciated by all.
However, this Basilica, which has been one of the main religious centers of the Italian south and Europe in general for almost a thousand years, has accumulated many other relics that are still little known or forgotten. As good attracts all good, so the holiness of the Tomb of the Miracle Worker “pulled” to itself shrines - objects associated with the earthly life of the Savior and His Most Holy Mother, particles of the relics of saints, revered icons. In various ways they ended up in Bari. The port city, which is also the center of pilgrimage, in the Middle Ages served as the most important point on the way to the Holy Land - both for the crusaders and for peaceful pilgrims. The city, as a faithful keeper of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, was patronized by the "mighty of this world." The city, for the same "obedience", was loved by ordinary people: merchants, artisans and peasants from different countries and faiths, expressing their love with their usual gestures - gifts and donations.
Here, at the crayfish of St. Nicholas, a meeting of the East and the West, North and South took place and is taking place. The shrines and relics accumulated in the Bari Basilica are a symbol and guarantee of the common cause of Christians, albeit divided by church borders on Earth. St. Nicholas and other saints of God do not know these borders and pray for us all.
This time we visited the Basilica immediately after May 9, when I collect "manna" here once a year - on the spring holiday of transferring the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker from Mir to Bari. After the evening mass on May 9, led by the Archbishop of Bari, the Dominican Prior takes out a liquid that flows from the relics with a special scoop and distributes it into bottles. When in 1951 the Bari Basilica was entrusted to the Dominican fathers, they maintained the pious tradition of distributing bottles of "manna", bringing special comfort to the sick. Its quantity is insignificant, and therefore part of this “pure manna” (manna pura) is preserved for churches and communities that especially venerate St. Nicholas, as well as for ecumenical purposes. Another part of it is distributed in containers with blessed water, thus, even if diluted, the world reaches thousands of pilgrims from dozens of countries flocking to the Bari Basilica.
In fact, over the course of centuries, the world from St. Nicholas has become one of the most desired relics, and whatever its origin - miraculous or natural - the very proximity of the world to the relics of St. Nicholas makes it a shrine. We got Miro in a small shop near the basilica, called the "donation hall", to distribute it to our relatives and friends, who revere the saint and trust Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Leaving Bari, each of us hoped to return here again. Leaving the port, we headed south towards the Greek coast and passed at night along the Otranto Canal. At dawn, the shores of Corfu became visible.
Blessed corfu
So, Kerkyra (or Corfu) -
the island of Theaklians.
"Many trees grew there
Fruitful: branched,
broad-top apple trees
and pears and pomegranates, in gold
abundant fruits, also
sweet fig trees and olives,
luxuriously blooming.
Year round there
and in the cold winter, and in the sultry
summers were visible on the branches
fruits constantly there
warm marshmallows
some, pouring others. "
Homer, The Odyssey, Book 7
The island of Kerkyra has a rich mythology and history, stores outstanding examples of culture and art. Every feature of her natural beauty is in close contact with the legends and historical events that took place on this earth. The island was majestically chanted by Homer and Xenophon, Casanova and Buontalenti, not to mention the people of art from among contemporaries from all corners of the globe, soul and heart related to this land.
Their works describe the unique beauty and picturesqueness of Kerkyra, and all these works occupy a special place in world literature and art. This land of discord became this land between the British, French and Venetians, each of which left its mark here. The history of the island, as it were, is a huge motley canvas, the plot of the picture of which has repeatedly been replenished with various touches and colors of each subsequent culture, however, as a result, it retained a holistic view of the unshakable and full of life spirit of the Ionian Islands.
The glorification of Kerkyra is not only in its commercial and commercial significance, the foundations of which were laid here in the old days, due to the strategic position of the island between East and West, and is more defined as a place for a great vacation, where you can have a great time, tasting everything the charms of cosmopolitan life. Kerkyra is rich in mythical landscapes and historical monuments that carry away on an interesting journey full of fantasy and mysterious magic: the stone ship of Odysseus and ancient temples, the Menekrat monument and the Byzantine Angelokastro (Fortress of the Angels), Byzantine fortifications and western-style buildings that adorn the city. Contemplating all this, we see the history of not only the island itself, but also of Europe with its kings and queens, regimes and cultures, which left their mark on this land and the population of Kerkyra. Together with an elevated sense of joy of life and a passion for poetry and music, hospitality is a sacred duty since ancient times, and the desire to offer someone something just as a sign of friendship is a special feature of the inhabitants of this island.
Nature and traditions, which span centuries, call many to this land of the Theakians. Kerkyra is one of the unique creations of nature. The island is surrounded by greenery, its soil is fertile, and the unique landscape is a wonderful combination of mountainous terrain and the sea coast of the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest island of the Ionian Basin with a length of 60 km and a width of 4 to 30 km. The island resembles the shape of a sickle.
Its population is about 110 thousand people. Approaching the island on a ship, you can see how moisture and fog from the sea create an unearthly image of the city, which seems like a fleeting vision. Upon closer inspection, you can see a dense mass of houses standing in the form of an amphitheater around the harbor. The architecture of the buildings is quite attractive. You can spend countless hours walking around the well-groomed streets lined with stone slabs, enjoying a suddenly discovered small area with a lonely palm tree growing in the middle, surrounded on all sides by tall houses standing close to each other. Fortified courtyards, stone staircases, decorated balconies and windows with elaborately framed frames offer sea views from among the houses. A special charm to the whole city is given by children playing quietly in a small area, and women hanging clothes on ropes stretched from house to house. It is a real living city, not something artificial.
The shopping center, the vast area of Spinada and Liston represent the main areas of modern Kerkyra. People gather here for evening walks and new acquaintances. Almost everyone comes here on Sundays and holidays. At this meeting place, antiquity does not instill a sense of old-fashionedness and abandonment, on the contrary, it becomes something natural and ordinary in the life of new people, merging with their daily worries and being part of what they call "their home." These people live in the same buildings as their distant ancestors, walk along the same stone-covered streets, see the same flowering lindens in the same squares. The life that has passed through these inanimate objects acquires a certain endlessness, forming a bridge to the eternally living past, which helps to guarantee a stable connection with the future. Our tour of the city of Kerkyra began with Spinada - a large open area lying between the city and the Old Fortress. The real reason this place was left open is because the artillerymen from the fortress had to have a spacious area for firing against any expected invaders. At the same time, it was a convenient place for military parades.
Nowadays, the southern part of this district has been transformed into a charming park with pop music for orchestra, statues, shady alleys, while the northern part is equipped with a modern cricket field. Cricket and ginger beer are some of the few traditions left over from English rule.
The entire northern part of Spinada is occupied by the Palace of Saints Michael and George. A magnificent neoclassical building, the facade of which is decorated with a Doric colonnade, is built of special porous stone brought from Malta. In the period from 1846 to 1913, the palace was used as the summer residence of the Greek royal family. Recently it was reconstructed, and now it houses the Museum of Asian Art. Here in 1994, a supreme meeting of members of the European Economic Community took place.
The Old Fortress is unique in its significance. The entrance to it is located almost opposite Liston. The fortification is a real miracle of military architecture, from where you can endlessly enjoy the magnificent views of the mountain and the opposite shore, divided by a strait. The remains of the defensive structures that we saw, for the most part belong to the Byzantine fortifications, created back in the VIII century.
In front of the fortress is a monument to General Schulenberg, who defended the fortress from the Turkish conquerors, which was erected in 1715 on the donations of grateful Venetians. The rise above the Old Harbor is the best place to view the New Fortress, which is open to visitors and, among other attractions, attracts the attention of the Greek Navy.
Today, we still admire the magnificent entrance to the fortress, above which the lion of St. Mark flaunts. Behind the harbor are the Gates of Spilia - one of the two gates of the Old Town, whose walls have survived to our time.
Leaving Spinada along Nikiforu Feotoki Street, we noticed characteristic vaulted streets. These vaults are called here "voltas" and provide homes with large spaces, while protecting pedestrians from the sun and rain. If you go a little higher, the view opens onto the square, on the back of which stands the church of Agnos Spiridonas. This church is the most famous monument in the city of Kerkyra. Saint Spyridon of Trimyphuntus was bishop of Cyprus and took part in the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, where he condemned heresy. After the death of St. Spyridon, his relics were stored in Constantinople, and when the capital of Byzantium fell under the Turks, the refugees took the remains of their saint with them. Thus, in 1489 his relics came to Kerkyra. Saint Spyridon became closely identified with the fate of the island, he managed to become the main saint of Kerkyra.
History claims that it was he who saved the island from the disaster of 1553. According to legend, St. Spyridon saved Kerkyra from the plague in 1630 and 1673, as well as from the Turks in 1716. During the last event, as the story goes, the saint appeared in the guise of a monk holding a candle and began to instill panic in the Turkish troops. The church holiday of St. Spyridon (December 12) is celebrated in Kerkyra with special splendor. Many newborn boys receive his name, and the phrase "In the name of St. Spyridon", uttered in a melodic local dialect, is heard constantly.
Four times a year (August 11, the first Sunday of November, Palm Sunday and Great Saturday), ceremonies are held during which holy relics sweep through the city, accompanied by a solemn procession, in memory of the miraculous exploits of St. Spyridon. This service is always accompanied by musicians who gather from all over the island.
Initially, the church of St. Spyridon was located in the Sarrkkos region, but was dismantled for the construction of defensive walls. The real church was erected in 1590. Her building is a typical structure of the construction of churches in the Ionian Islands. The roof of Agnos Spiridonas is divided into 17 sections, trimmed with gilding, preserved from the old church. Icons represent scenes from the life of the saint, the four evangelists, and other similar motifs.
The iconostasis is made of marble.The holy relics are stored in a silver sarcophagus of the XIX century, which stands on the right half of the church. Icon painters from the Ionian School were not only familiar with the art of the Renaissance, but also were influenced by it. The ceiling of Agnos Spiridonas was laid out by Panayetis Doksaras, who was trained in Rome and Venice and was a great admirer of Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese. Doxaras is also the founder of the Ionian School of Arts. Original icons and other church murals by Doksaras were destroyed by damp, and in the XIX century, copies made by Aspiotis took their place. In the rest of Greece, Byzantine patterns were always adhered to, but in the Ionian Islands a strong influence of Italian art of the 17th century prevailed, so the churches here are quite long and low, with very pronounced bells.
The bell tower of Agnos Spiridonas strongly resembles the Greek church of Agnos Georgios in Venice, which was built around the same period. Our visit to the church of the saint coincided with the service on Sunday.
The population of Kerkyra is characterized by deep religiosity, and this feeling is largely concentrated on the worship of Agnos Spiridonas, who is considered the main saint of the island. His help is sought constantly, regardless of a joyful or sad event. Kerkyra is an island with a special personality. The worthy love of its inhabitants for art and culture, its trade, which made the island the second most powerful sea power after Athens, is harmoniously interwoven today with the cultivation of olives, cattle breeding, and the cultivation of vineyards and citrus orchards. The island produces milk, butter, cheeses and sausages, famous for their taste. Cheese "engraver" (a delicious brackish-tasting cheese), as well as the famous "nubuso" (baked pork fillet in the intestine, reminiscent of high-quality salami to taste), are incomparable companions of any meal.
Walking around the city, we bought small Katai oranges - kumquats, which are grown only in Corfu and in Sicily and are used exclusively for the preparation of liquor. We were treated to this extraordinary liquor, as well as floral honey. On the island we got acquainted with the traditions of folk crafts. Weaving, embroidery, and carpets are generous in patterns and superbly delicate in their color schemes. Wickerwork, as well as various small wooden items, are made here in large quantities from olive wood. Street shops sell many silver and jewelry items with a wide selection of decorative images, which are affected by the obvious influence of Byzantine and Venetian art.
The opportunity to get acquainted with Kerkyra: this is a completely different charm, moreover, night in the city and night in the village give completely different sensations. Lush nature, spectacular sunsets and sunrises, the scents of herbs and blooming gardens, combined with an impeccably beautiful coast - Kerkyra is generous in all its forms.
Island of Eternal Returns
Corfu or Kerkyra? In different sources this island is called differently. The word "Corfu" comes from the name used by the Byzantine Italians Kerifo ("city of mountains"). But the Greeks themselves, musical and creative natures, prefer the second name - Kerkyra. It is associated with local Greek mythology. The name Kerkyra belonged to a nymph who blinded by her beauty Paseidon himself. He stole it and drove to the island of Pladom, where Feax, the ancestor of the Fean family inhabiting the island, was subsequently born ....
I must say that the inhabitants of this island are very fond of Russian. This is due to the history of the presence of the Russian navy under the leadership of Admiral Fedor Ushakov. And only having been here, you understand why Kerkyra is called the "island of eternal returns." It is simply impossible not to come here again ... Having enjoyed the beauty of the island, we nevertheless returned to the ship that headed along the Greek coast, where hundreds of islands are scattered. In the evening, we were waiting for the long-awaited gala dinner with the captain of the ship, Ignazio Jitdina, after which the cruise director Stefano presented the famous program with dancers “Stareight Roduction” at the theater. At night, the ship entered the Kitira Strait, separating the Peloponnesian Peninsula and the island of Crete. The next day we spent in navigation. In the morning we went to the Gulf of Cados, separating the islands of Cados and Crete.
Crete: beautiful and impregnable
Crete (Criti in modern Greek or Candia, in Venetian) in the Aegean is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest among the islands of the Mediterranean after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus and Corsica. The name of the island comes from the presence of a large number of "cretas" (white clay), from which residents from ancient times made dishes and vases. The island has a narrow and long shape and separates the Aegean and Libyan seas. Its territory is mostly mountainous with a small number of plains. The first population of Crete dates back to the Bronze Age and 3000 BC, and is called "Minoica" in the name of Minos, the mythical king of Crete. First, a series of earthquakes in 1600 BC, then the invasion, presumably by the Achaeans and Dorians in 1400 BC, destroyed the great palace of Knossos. This was followed by numerous conquests of the island by the Romans and Ottoman warriors.
In 1913, after the end of the Balkan wars, Crete officially became part of Greece. On May 20, 1941, the Nazis occupied Crete, conducting Operation Mercury and forcing the British troops to retreat. This episode is known in history as the Battle of Crete. Leaving the shores of the island, our ship sailed into the open sea and set sail for the southeast coast towards the Israeli coast. And in the evening of the same day in the theater we were waiting for the concert of the charismatic Pietro Manzharatino, accompanied by the Night Out Party Band ...
To be continued…
