“Phoenix of Corfu” Masonic Museum

Our Museum houses Masonic artifacts from both the “Phoenix of Corfu” Lodge, as well as from older Lodges (and other foreign Masonic Obediences), which operated in Corfu from the late 18th century to the early 19th century. The Museum’s rich collection includes indicative artifacts from the Lodges “Pythagoras” n. 654, “San Napoleon”, “Beneficenza”, “Beneficenza & Filogenia Reunite”, “Proodos”, “Enosis Lefkados”, etc., such as old swords, porcelain dinnerware, girdles and jewelry, diplomas, as well as many exhibits from the historical course of the “Phoenix of Corfu” Lodge. An exhibit of great importance is the unique original Constitution of the Most Serene Grand Orient of Greece founded by Dionysios Romas (1816), the first Masonic Governing Body in Greek territory, as well as a multitude of historical documents (part of which is on display), which constitute a rich historical masonic archive of the Lodge “Phoenix of Corfu”. A central exhibit is the 1863 translation in Greek of the Rituals of the Grand Orient of France, a task completed entirely through the initiative of “Phoenix” Lodge. It was because of this translation that Freemasonry in Greece acquired for the first time an official terminology in the Greek language, which is still in use In July 2018, our Museum organized the international conference of AMMLA with excellent international and Greek, mainly Corfiot, announcements and presentations. The Lodge’s Historical Archive consists of more than 20 meters of archival material of all kinds, which continues to grow through small and large donations. The “Phoenix of Corfu” archive includes, among others, minutes of the Lodge’s meetings from its founding to the present, correspondence, membership registers, attendance books, handwritten rituals and Masonic speeches (from the 19th century to today), diplomas, and various three-dimensional materials. These archival items reveal the Lodge’s rich history and its place in the Masonic and social life of Corfu, Greece, and Europe. The Lodge’s Library currently consists of over 1,000 bibliographic records and supports the writing and research activities of the Brethren by providing access to often rare and hard-to-find sources. Its subject matter is predominantly Masonic and includes key reference publications in Greek, historical works concerning the Craft, a highly useful collection of printed Masonic rituals from the 19th century to the present (mainly of the AASR and the French Rite, but also of other jurisdictions), as well as publications on philosophy, history and Masonic esotericism, among others.