General Information

Agios Prokopios is a traditional village located on a hill in Central Corfu, at a height of 440 metres, 10km from Corfu town and 8km from the airport. It has a population of approximately 900 residents and its local history dates around 700 years . The village was renamed recently as for centuries it was known as Psoraroi or Psorarou. The old Venetian fortress of Corfu is featured in the background views of the village and Corfu Town is conveniently located around a 15 minute drive away.
Agios Prokopios is a perfect example of traditional Corfiot architecture at its most beautiful, where the small local neighbourhoods meet with the typically traditional features of architecture of the period. A brief stroll through the local neighbourhoods gives you the chance to view aspects of the local architecture of this period in a traditionally Corfiot setting.
The village is well known for its churches: Agios Vasilios, since 1511, Agia Triada and Agia Pantes, since 1745 and Agios Prokopios since the 16th century. This church was destroyed by fire early in the 19th century and was re-built in 1937.
The point of interest in Agios Prokopios is an ancient withered olive tree located on the south-eastern side of the village, it is known to be probably the oldest and the biggest olive tree on the island with a 19-metre trunk.
The Village organises a summer festival on 8th July each year where Grilled Meat and Drinks are served accompanied by music and local dancing from one of the Corfiot traditional bands of the area.
Sport & Nature

With its sleepy local village atmosphere, activities are limited and a hire car is highly recommended.
This area is certainly suitable for walking enthusiasts. Experience pleasurable local walks, uncover aged olive trailss, wind your way through the bushes and trees with tiny trails towards the unspoiled hills, eventually reaching the peaks enjoying the most spectacular views.
Nightlife
There is no nightlife in Agios Prokopios. Just a short walk of ten minutes away is Kastellanoi, a bigger community with super markets, tavernas, bars and facilities which cannot be found in Agios Prokopios.
In alternative a ten minutes drive will lead you to Corfu town where all types of night life can be found.

Culture and History

The name is more recent than the village itself, as for more than 550 years it was known as Psoraroi or Psorarou. In 1936, the residents appealed that the village be renamed, as the old name reminded them of Psoriasis, and they felt offended by this. In various texts from as early as 1381, references can be found to the village as Psorarci, while in a 1497 document, it's called the "village of Psoraraioi". There is no known notification of why this name had been chosen.
Just a ten minutes drive away is the majestic Achilion Palace, built by Empress of Austria Elisabeth of Bavaria, also known as Sissi, in 1890, as a summer palace located in the region of Gastouri.
The palace was designed by Italian architect Raffaele Caritto. Ernst Herter, a famous German sculptor, was commissioned to create works inspired by Greek mythology. His famous sculpture Dying Achilles, created in Berlin in 1884 as inscribed in the statue, forms the centrepiece of the Achilleion Gardens.
Achilion has been used in recent times for the European summit meetings in 1994 and in 2003 and lately it has been used as a museum with hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.