The Holy Relic of St Spyridon, patron saint of Corfu, reposes in a 19th-century wrought-silver reliquary, set in a side chapel to the right of the Sanctuary. The church, erected in 1589, is in itself one of the town’s most important post-Byzantine monuments, and possesses priceless treasures and votive offerings. Christian Orthodox faithful from all continents arrive here to pay honor to the Saint’s relic, which is believed to have saved Corfu from famine, plague and siege, and to have performed a great number of miracles. The Boulgaris family, founders of the church, were its owners until the middle of the twentieth century.