Ioannis Kapodistrias was born in Corfu in February 1776 to a distinguished Corfiot family. His father was local and his mother from the Gonemis family from Cyprus and later settled in Corfu in the 17th century. Both families were raised from and as noblemen. Studying medicine, philosophy and law at Padua, in Italy. When he was 21 years old, in 1797, he started his medical practice as a doctor here on Corfu. in 1802 he Founded the National Medical Association, after in 1799 the island was briefly occupied by Russian and Turkish forces, as Kapodistrias was appointed chief medical director of the military hospital.
Remembered for many milestones here in Corfu and Greece, which included founding schools, established foundations for young women to work and inaugurated the first university. These Institutes educated the first teachers of a liberated Greece. He introduced the first modern quarantine system in Greece. He also has a street named after him here in Corfu town and a museum which can be reached by a short drive north of Corfu town. (See the link below Capodistrias. Its not a spelling mistake use the link)
The story we liked the most is of the common potato. Ioannis Kapodistrias ordered that potatoes be handed out to anyone interested, the population was reluctant at first to take advantage of the offer. The legend continues, that he then ordered that the whole shipment of potatoes be unloaded on public display on the docks of Nafplion, and placed it under guard to make the people believe that they were valuable. Soon, people would gather to look at the guarded potatoes and some started to steal them. The guards had been ordered in advance to turn a blind eye to such behaviour, and soon the potatoes had all been "stolen" and Kapodistrias' plan to introduce them to Greece had succeeded
Remembered for many milestones here in Corfu and Greece, which included founding schools, established foundations for young women to work and inaugurated the first university. These Institutes educated the first teachers of a liberated Greece. He introduced the first modern quarantine system in Greece. He also has a street named after him here in Corfu town and a museum which can be reached by a short drive north of Corfu town. (See the link below Capodistrias. Its not a spelling mistake use the link)
The story we liked the most is of the common potato. Ioannis Kapodistrias ordered that potatoes be handed out to anyone interested, the population was reluctant at first to take advantage of the offer. The legend continues, that he then ordered that the whole shipment of potatoes be unloaded on public display on the docks of Nafplion, and placed it under guard to make the people believe that they were valuable. Soon, people would gather to look at the guarded potatoes and some started to steal them. The guards had been ordered in advance to turn a blind eye to such behaviour, and soon the potatoes had all been "stolen" and Kapodistrias' plan to introduce them to Greece had succeeded