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Achilleion (Achillion) Palace
Empress Elizabeth of Austria (known as the sad queen Sissy):
Achilleion Palace was built for Empress Elizabeth of Austria in 1890. Elizabeth was the younger daughter of the Duke of Bavaria. The Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph, was told by his mother to marry Elizabeth's older elder sister but he fell in love with Elizabeth and married her instead. She felt stifled by the very strict protocol, dominating mother-in-law, and the regimented life in Vienna, and appears to have suffered minor breakdowns and depression frequently. She became extremely depressed following the suicide of her son, Rudolf, who shot himself and his mistress in a suicide pact.
Coming to Corfu she fell in love with the estate of the diplomat and philosopher Petros Braila-Armeni, and he gave it to her. She then demolished the simple house and built the Achilleion Palace. Once the palace was finished however she lost interest in it and came less frequently to the island.
On a visit to Geneva in 1898 she was assassinated by an Italian anarchist who later said that he had gone to Geneva to kill a sovereign, and did not mind which one he killed, as long as he succeeded!
The Palace:
The Empress was captivated and awestruck by ancient Greek legends and mythology. Her favorite was Achilles, the greatest of all warriors in whose honor she dedicated the palace. There are statues of Achilles around the grounds and paintings of him inside the house.
The decoration of the palace was supervised by Elizabeth herself and reflects her admiration and love for Classical Greece, both interior and exterior are decorated with statues of ancient philosophers, heroes and mythical ancient gods and goddesses.
Two centaurs decorate the balcony on the first floor along with busts of philosophers and statues of the nine muses.
On the second floor there is a brass statue of the god Hermes and the central large hall is dominated by works of Italian painters, most notably that of the Austrian Franz Matt depicting the triumph of Achilles. Four brass Mice guard the balcony of the second floor.
In the gardens of the palace are found the famous statues of the dying Achilles, Dionysus with Satyros on his shoulders, an impressive of one Achilles and of Lord Byron.
The Palace After Empress Elizabeth's Death:
After the murder of Elizabeth in 1898 the palace was deserted until 1907 when it was bought by the Kaiser of Germany, William II. It was used as a military hospital during World War I, then fell into decay. During the 1970s and 1980s it housed the casino of Corfu. Today it is a museum.
Adding to its popularity and colorful history is the fact that the magnificant palace was used as the location for the James Bond Move, For Your Eyes Only.
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