West of the Spianada Square lies Liston, one of the most characteristic places of the town of Corfu.
Designed by the French at the beginning of the 19th century, the street with its arches is reminiscent of the Rivoli Street in Paris and has been photographed numerous times. The building with the arches was built by Frenchman Lesseps, while the Greek engineer Ioannis Parmesan helped with the design.
The Liston is the main meeting place in the town of Corfu, a place where locals and tourists of all ages go for a walk, have a coffee or a drink and taste Corfiot ginger beer.
The name of the street comes from Latin and the Venetian dialect – lizton means straight street and in every city there is always a lizton. In Venice, the street under St Mark’s Square is also called Liston. The name was given to the street by the Corfiots themselves, who were clearly influenced by Venetian rule.
Liston, the most cosmopolitan place in Corfu
Liston has always been the most cosmopolitan spot in the city and for many years it was the main place of entertainment for the aristocratic class of Corfu Town.
Today, many people prefer Liston and its cafés to enjoy the Good Friday epitaph parade that passes through this historic street.