Also known as the Royal or City Palace, the Palace of Saints Michael and George also known as the Royal Palace is situated in the northern side of Spianada. It was built at the times of British domination in the island between 1814-24.
It was accommodating the Knightly Battalion of Saints Michael and George recommended in 1827 by the King of England George the 3rd for his services in Malta and Ionian Islands. It was this historical fact that gave the name to this gorgeous palace which is the second in size in Greece only to the palace of Othonas in Athens where currently the Greek Parliament is situated. The Palace was designed by the English Colonel Engineer Sir George Whitmore in style of English romantic classicism and executed from Maltese limestone. The palace complex consists of the main building and two symmetrically placed wings from both sides of the it. The cornice of the roof is decorated with symbols of 7 Ionian Islands created by the local sculptor Pavlos Prossalentis. In front of the palace there is the brass statue of Lord Frederick-Adam, one of well-known English Commissioners, who did a lot for development of Corfu and made an important input in history of the island such as construction of aqueduct supplying the city of Corfu with drinking water from 11 km away.
The palace served different purposes during the time of its existence. It used to be Government House and a residency of the Governor, a summer residence of the royal family of Greece, after complete reconstruction it hosted the European Summit and today the Palace accommodates the Museum of Asian Art, the Municipal Art gallery, the 5th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, as well as the Municipal art café in its garden. The Museum is at the edge town next to the Old Fortress
INNOVIMENTOR (Balkan-Mediterranean)
