San Giacomo Square

Piazza San Giacomo is located in the heart of the city in front of the Old Town Hall of San Giacomo, an architectural masterpiece of the island made entirely of carved semiotic stone. It was built in the 17th century, in 1690 by an unknown architect and operated as the first theatre in Corfu, where opera was performed for the first time in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean.

In 1720 it was transformed with some additions to a theatre for the garrison’s officers and hosted various plays and concerts. At the time it was considered to be one of the important theatres in Eastern Europe. At the beginning of the 20th century, the San Giacomo was brought back to its original monumental form to become Corfu’s Town Hall. At the same time, a new Municipal Theatre was built, fulfilling the requirements and needs of the Corfiot society. It burned down during the 2nd World War bombardments and was replaced on the same site in the 1950s by the present Municipal Theater.

The City Hall of Corfu has been housed there since the beginning of the 20th century.