Sunday, August 11, 2019

Celebrations in Corfu August 11








CELEBRATIONS IN CORFU AUGUST 11. GREECE. 
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In honor of St. Spyridon of Tremithus in Kerkyra, the procession is held four times a year, but 11 August is the most crowded, the most grandiose.
The procession on August 11 takes place in memory of the salvation of Kerkyra from the Turkish invasion in 1716. On June 24, the island was besieged by the fifty thousandth Turkish army, from the sea it was blocked by ships of the Ottoman Port. The inhabitants of the city, led by Count Schulenburg, with arms in their hands desperately tried to repel the attacks of infidels, but the defenders' forces after forty-six days of bloody battles were running out. Women, children and the elderly gathered in the holy church of St. Spyridon and prayed, kneeling. The Turks have already scheduled the day of the general battle, which, most likely, would be the last for the townspeople.

Suddenly, on August 10, a terrible thunderstorm broke out at night, unprecedented before at this time of year - streams of water literally flooded the island. At dawn the next day, when the defenders of the island were preparing to enter a decisive battle, scouts reported that the Hagarian trenches were empty and the bodies of drowned soldiers and officers lay everywhere. The survivors, having thrown their weapons and food, in horror, hastily retreated to the sea, trying to get on the ships, but many soldiers and officers were captured. It was they who said that a figure of a warrior suddenly appeared above the walls of the fortress in a stormy sky, holding a burning candle and sword in one hand, and a cross in the other. A whole host of Angels followed him, and together they began to advance and drive the Turks away.

The unexpected rescue of the island from the Turkish invaders forced local authorities to recognize St. Spyridon as the liberator of the island. 
In gratitude, the ruler of the island, Admiral Andrea Pisani, presented the church with a silver pendant lamp with many lamps, and local authorities decided that every year they would provide oil for lighting these lamps. 
A year later, on this day, August 11, a holiday was established in honor of the Saint. It is noted that it is in this procession that the largest number of believers take part. After the procession returns to the church, the holy relics are exposed for three-day worship (before sunset on August 13).

Kerkyra is the only island in the Ionian Sea that has never been ruled by the Turks. Locals are very proud of this and attribute this to the patronage of St. Spyridon. 

Site "Spiridon -Trimifunta.runarod.ru"

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