Achillion Palace is located 10 km. far from the main town of the island. It is one of the most famous royal mansions of Europe and perhaps the most important architectural landmark of Corfu. The mansion was built in 1890. It was designed by Italian architects Raffaele Caritto and Antonio Landi and the construction was funded by Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The mansion was dedicated to Achilles and the courtyard was filled with statues of ancient Greek mythology such as the "Seven Muses".
Elisabeth was murdered in 1898 and in 1904 (or 1907 according to some), Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany purchased the palace and lived here during his regular spring visits to Corfu. He was a very cultured man and a lover of ancient Greek civilization and he brought a colossal statue of Achilles in the palace, with the inscription "To the best of the Greeks from the greatest of Germans."
After the First World War, the mansion became a property of the Greek government. It was deserted until 1962 when it was given to a German company in order to turn it into a casino. The casino was closed in 1981 and was re-opened in 1984.
The palace was constructed based on the standards of a Pompeian mansion. In the interior you will see many frescoes of artists of the time while on the second floor you can see an Ionic colonnade. The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens with statues, palm trees and bougainvillea. The "Dying Achilles" is a nice bronze statue, the work of German sculptor Ernst Herter. They say that Elizabeth of Austria was moved by this statue and bought it after the tragic suicide of her second son, Archduke Rudolph. A second impressive statue of Achilles, 15m. high, can also be found in the garden and was brought here by Kaiser Wilhelm II.
