1919, Document, First Class Passport, Kingdom of Greece, Corfu, Bonatis Brothers

Description

In 1887, the local community of Corfu was shocked by the cold-blooded murder of Sp. Moraitis by Ioannis Bonatis due to financial differences between the victim and the perpetrator’s brother Spyridon Bonatis. The case, which became known as “the Bonatis brothers‘ case”, resulted in the sentencing to death by beheading of 28-year-old Ioannis and the life imprisonment as an accomplice of his brother Spyridon. The execution took place one morning in December 1887 in the trench of N. Frourio with the only guillotine in the country, which was transferred from Nafplio to Corfu for this purpose. Spyridon Bonatis remained in prison for two years until he was released by a royal decree of full pardon as the conviction against him collapsed as a mistake. He later opened a grocery store within the “walk” of the Cave Gate which became known as “Bonatis’ walk”. In memory of his executed brother, Spyridon would later construct a large cross on the front of the curtain wall, above the point of execution.

Michel Bonatis was the son of Spyridon Bonatis.