The story of Corfu’s Old Fortress begins in the 6th century AD when the inhabitants of Paleopolis (the ancient city of Corfu) moved to the eastern edge of today’s city after surviving barbarian raids. They settled on a rocky peninsula with two peaks and it was here, during the Middle Ages, that Corfu got its name: Korifo, from the Greek word for peak. This was the city of Corfu until the end of the 16th century when the capital was moved outside the walls and the fortress remained as a military base. Fortification works were carried out by the Byzantine Emperors and the Angevins of southern Italy as they surrounded the peninsula and fortified the town’s two peaks, establishing the Land Tower and the Sea Tower. Slowly, Corfu’s Old Fortress began to take shape.