The Central Archaeological Council unanimously approved all plans – architectural, static and geotechnical – for the restoration of the Bastion (Promachonas) of the “Seven Winds” in the New Fortress; part of the larger project of restoring and upgrading the monuments in the Old Town of Corfu.

Restoration work on the southern wall of the Bastion of the “Seven Winds” in the New Fortress includes documenting its current state, recording its damages and proposing the works required. Taking into account the monument’s pathology, caused over time by natural and man-made factors, it is absolutely necessary to restore the wall of the monument which is one of the most important landmarks of Corfu’s Old Town,so it can become accessible to the local community and visitors to the island.

With the construction of the New Fortress at the end of the 16th century, the Venetians completed the huge task of walling the town and by the first half of the 18th century a new line of defense had been created, cutting the city off from both the countryside and the sea. The New Fortress is situated near the commercial port and is one of the most important and well-preserved monuments of fortification architecture of the 16th-19th century in Greece. The two Bastions of the “Six and Seven Winds” were built to the west, connected by a flanking tower and curtain wall (cortina). In 1845, barracks were constructed on the upper level of the fortress.

After the Central Archaeological Council approved the studies for the restoration of the Bastion of the “Seven Winds”, Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni said: “The town of Corfu is one of the most important fortified towns in the Mediterranean and one of our country’s most prominent tourist destinations. The Fortresses are an integral part of the Old Town monuments and their overall upgrading is a priority for the Ministry of Culture and Sports. The restoration of the Bastion of the ‘Seven Winds’ is part of a series of works in progress on the protection and promotion of fortifications. Our strategic choice is for the two Fortresses to be treated as an entity in a coordinated and integrated way through the Management Plan prepared by the services of the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the National Technical University of Athens, utilizing the financial tools of the new NSRF and the Recovery Fund”.