Count Spiro Flamburiari
Founding Chairman of the Corfu Heritage Foundation
In 2000, Count Flamburiari founded the Corfu Heritage Foundation for the purpose of promoting Anglo-Hellenic relations and preserving and supporting the cultural and architectural Heritage between Corfu and Britain. He remains its Chairman.
In 2014, he co-founded the Edward Lear Society to commemorate and advance the understanding of the artist, who represents an important link between Britain and Corfu.
In 2018, on his personal initiative he organised a festival in Corfu to celebrate the Bicentenary of the creation in Corfu and Malta of the Order of St Michael and St George. One of his ancestors, Dionysio, Count Flamburiari, was bestowed the Grand Cross of the Order on the 9th of July 1857. The Festival was endorsed by HRH The Duke of Kent, The Hellenic Ministries of Culture and Tourism, the British Embassy in Athens and the Municipality of Corfu. The events included 3 art exhibitions, 5 lectures, 2 concerts and 2 cricket matches. All the events were of free admission to the public and attracted over 1,000,000 viewers on Facebook.
At the instigation of Count Flamburiari, the Corfu Heritage Foundation supports Corfu’s Brass Bands and promotes the game of Cricket, bequeathed by the British to the islanders in the 19th century and still played today. The Foundation does not only support elite academic events, but popular culture as well. It has also introduced the installation, throughout Corfu, of the Corfu Heritage Plaques, the equivalent of the British Blue Plaques. These are commemorating, amongst others, HRH Prince Philip, Frederic North, the Earl of Guilford (who founded the Ionian Academy, the first University of Greece), Edward Lear, the Durrells and many others.
By co-founding the Edward Lear Society, Count Flamburiari has helped to highlight the artist’s work in Corfu and Great Britain. At his death, Edward Lear left 7,000 watercolours painted during his travels. Count Flamburiari has researched extensively the Corfu sites visited by Lear. He also commissioned a commemorative bust of Lear, which is prominently displayed in the most prestigious Hellenic Cultural Institution, the Corfu Reading Society. Nicholas Parsons, in his capacity as Chairman of the Society, has often entertained large audiences in Corfu with his one-man show, “Entertaining Mr Lear”.
Count Flamburiari is the author and editor of a beautiful coffee-table book, “Corfu – The Garden Isle”, illustrating the island’s unique heritage. The book contains chapters by British contributors including, amongst others, Gerald Durrell, John Julius Norwich, Lord Orr-Ewing and Andrew Sinclair. The foreword is written by HRH The Duke of Kent.
Count Flamburiari has worked tirelessly, over many years, as goodwill ambassador, promoting Anglo-Hellenic relations through a variety of activities, including interviews on TV (ITV), Radio (BBC 4) and Newspapers (The Mail, Evening Standard, Kathimerini and Corfu papers – Enimerosi).