The Monastery of Tenedos is a Franciscan monastery located at the foot of the New Venetian Fortress in the historic center of Corfu Town.
The monastery was founded at the end of the 15th century by Franciscan monks who took refuge in Corfu after the island of Tenedos was occupied by the Ottomans in 1455. The monks brought with them the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary. The monastery was named after the island Tenedos, it was dedicated to Madonna del Carmine and belonged to the Holy Spirit of Venice.
During the Ottoman siege of 1716, the monastery was severely damaged after which it was rebuilt in 1723. When the French occupied Corfu for the first time in 1797 they abolished the monastery and seized the building to house a library and printing house named Public Typography. The library became the basis for the library of the Ionian Academy. Later Ioannis Kapodistrias established the first Greek school for the training of civil servants there. During the second French occupation of Corfu, the imperialists opened a pawn shop in the monastery. During World War II, large parts of the monastery were destroyed by the 1943 bombings.
The Monastery of Tenedos was never rebuild, but large parts, including the dome-shaped church and iconic bell tower remain. Every year the church celebrates the Blessed Virgin of Carmine on July 16th.
