The Museum of Asian Art is one of the surprises of Corfu Town: a major collection of Chinese, Japanese and wider Asian art in a palace beside the Spianada. The museum calls itself the only one of its kind in Greece, and its holdings run to roughly fifteen thousand objects. The building is the Palace of St Michael and St George, built between 1818 and 1823 during the British protectorate of the Ionian Islands as the residence of the High Commissioner. The collection began with a donation by the diplomat Grigorios Manos, who had gathered Chinese, Korean and Japanese pieces, and later gifts added works from Nepal, Tibet, Gandhara, India, Siam, Cambodia and Central Asia. The first-floor permanent exhibition highlights the Chinese collection, covering almost thirty centuries, and the Japanese collection from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries, including samurai armour, screens, kimonos, a tea ritual room and Noh theatre masks. The building itself, with its Doric colonnade and grand rooms, is half the reason to visit, and the museum is indoors, which makes it a good winter choice.
How it works
The museum has a full ticket and a reduced ticket, and in the winter period from 1 November to 31 March it opens Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, from half past eight until half past three, closed on Tuesdays. Admission is free on the first and third Sunday of each month in that period, among other dates.
The tour on offer is a private guided tour of the museum, a good option if you want the collection explained, and you can still visit independently using the museum's own hours. Last entry is twenty minutes before closing.
What to expect
A quiet, unhurried visit among beautiful objects, and a very different note from the Venetian and Greek story that dominates the rest of the town. The Japanese rooms are a highlight for the armour and the tea room, while the Chinese galleries show the depth of the Manos gift.
The upper floors of the palace also let you see the state rooms where British administrators once entertained, so the building tells its own story. It is rarely crowded, even in summer, and the galleries are cool when the town is hot. A visit takes about ninety minutes at an easy pace.
Making the most of it
Combine the museum with a walk across the Spianada to the Liston for coffee, then continue to the Old Fortress. On a rainy day it pairs with Casa Parlante and the Archaeological Museum for a cultural itinerary, and it is a refreshing change if you have already seen several churches and fortresses.
Visitors with limited mobility should ask about lifts and ramps, as the building is historic. If you are interested in Asian art, consider a guided visit, because the descriptions are more rewarding with a guide who can explain the context of the pieces and the history of the donors.
Take time over the small pieces as well as the big ones, since the collection shows craftsmanship at a very fine scale, and note that free-entry Sundays in winter can be busier with local families, so a weekday is better if you prefer quiet. A short break afterwards in the green space of the Spianada outside makes the visit feel like part of a relaxed walk rather than an effort.
What to expect
The experience
A visit to Greece's only museum of Asian art, in the Palace of St Michael and St George beside the Spianada, independently or on a private guided tour.
Best time
Any day it is open; winter is quiet, and rainy days are ideal.
How long
About ninety minutes.
Tips
In winter it opens 08:30 to 15:30 and is closed on Tuesdays, with free entry on the first and third Sunday of each month, so check the hours before you go.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Culture lovers who want something beyond Venetian Corfu, and anyone seeking an indoor day.
- Families
- Older children enjoy the samurai armour and masks; younger ones may tire of the galleries.
- Couples
- A calm, atmospheric palace visit that suits a rainy afternoon.
- Pair with
- Casa Parlante, the Liston and Spianada, and the Old Fortress.
- Time needed
- About 90 minutes.
Good questions
What is in the Corfu Museum of Asian Art?+
About fifteen thousand objects, mostly Chinese and Japanese, with pieces from Korea, Nepal, Tibet, India, Siam, Cambodia and Central Asia.
What are the winter opening hours?+
From 1 November to 31 March the museum opens Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, 08:30 to 15:30, and is closed on Tuesdays.
Is entry ever free?+
Yes, on certain dates, including the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March.
Where is the museum?+
It is in the Palace of St Michael and St George at the northern end of the Spianada, a few minutes' walk from the square.
Is a guide worth it?+
A guide explains the collection and the history of the palace, which adds depth for visitors who are new to Asian art.
