The village of Old Perithia; built on the slopes of Mount Pantokrator in northern Corfu, is a world away from the trendy, tourist hotspots of this trendy Greek island, according to the following story by greekreporter.com.
Only 8 km from the area of Kassiopi, it combines natural beauty with the architectural richness of past times.
The British daily Independent recently described the village and the surrounding area as the ideal destination for an authentic Greek getaway.
The village with spectacular vistas over the Ionian Islands and neighbouring Albania, has been abandoned.
There are almost 130 houses; among them impressive mansions, mostly built of stone with a touch of Venetian architecture.
The churches in the village are constructed in a circular arrangement around the settlement and show the profound faith of the inhabitants.
The village’s school; with the coat of arms of local Lord Skordilis at its entrance, was abandoned in 1940.
Fear of raids and malaria
Local site Corfu Land notes that the location of the village was dictated by the fear of raids and malaria that hit the coast.
It adds that before the Second World War, its inhabitants started to leave because of an epidemic, and it eventually reached the present state of utter abandonment.
Currently there are only two inhabitants living among the remnants of the mansions that resist the passage of time.
Mark Hendriksen, British owner of The Merchant’s House guesthouse and his Dutch wife, Saskia told The Independent, “We read about this abandoned ghost village in the mountains in the villa we were staying at, came up here and fell in love with the place.”
Together with the Archaeological Society, the couple have managed to restore the old Merchant’s House to its former Venetian glory, sourcing bespoke furniture from Crete to give it an authentic 17th century feel.
Not only this, but they’re assisting others restore their own properties to wake them from a 60-year slumber.
Read more here.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Z thomas License: CC-BY-SA
Source: greekreporter.com
