Historedia
EuropeEvent

Corfu Powder Magazine Explosion

When
1718
Where
Old Fortress, Corfu
Episodes
1

In 1718, a lightning strike ignited the powder magazine at Castel da Mare in the Old Fortress of Corfu. The resulting chain reaction destroyed the fortress palace and many city buildings, killing hundreds in a major catastrophe.

Episodes

  1. 1718 · Old Fortress, CorfuLightning Strike and Explosion

    Lightning ignited the Castel da Mare powder magazine in 1718, causing a chain reaction that destroyed the fortress palace and city buildings.

Background and detail

The Explosion. Lightning struck the powder magazine at Castel da Mare in 1718, triggering an explosion that caused a chain reaction. Three secondary ammunition facilities also detonated, destroying most buildings inside the castle, including the Captain General's palace, and many structures in the city.

Sources

  1. Old Fortress, Corfu Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-19

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.