The most famous resident of the island of Corfu was probably the Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Better known to many as Sisi. The Austrian consul Baron von Warsberg showed Sisi not only all the ancient sites on Corfu, but also Villa Braila, a former Venetian villa. Elisabeth immediately made plans to turn the villa into a castle. This is how the Achilleion was created, named after Achilles, who the Empress was passionate about.
After Sisi's death in 1898, Kaiser Wilhelm II bought the villa in 1907 and then spent almost every spring on Corfu until 1914. The Achilleion served as a military hospital in both world wars. The state casino used to be housed here. Today you can visit a few rooms that have been converted into a kind of museum for Sisi and Kaiser Wilhelm. The most beautiful thing, however, is the park and the view from the top terrace. Sisi bought many of the statues in the beautiful park during a trip to Italy, including copies from the museums of Naples and Florence. The beautiful Ionic-style courtyard (peristyle) is decorated with statues of the nine muses and three graces.
When I toured in Spring 2023, renovations were underway...