CORFU’S VILLAGE HOUSES – THE HISTORY OF AN ISLAND

The houses of Corfu have a rich history, charting the traditions of the island and its people.

The oldest surviving houses are single or two storey brick or stone buildings with wooden roofs. The ground floor of these old houses would have been used for stabling animals whilst the living quarters were upstairs. The stone houses were unplastered and had few windows on the lower storey, with a simple regular ground plan and a saddle-back roof. This style of house is not Corfu’s original architecture, but the survival of the classic Byzantine house once found throughout the Greek mainland. Today, such houses can be seen only in the very old, traditional villages of Perithia, Old Sinies and Strinilas.

When pirate attacks on the island ceased to be so frequent, Corfiot houses acquired external ornamentation and other features, which today are classed as the traditional architecture of Corfu. The houses of wealthier habitants were given coats of plaster and paint. Favourite colours were ochre, red and yellow for the walls and dark green or grey for window and door frames.
Outdoor stone staircases were also built to give access to the upper storey, which led to a covered landing area above the entrance to the ground floor. This landing, or veranda, became broader as time went by and sometimes brick pillars were built to support its roof.

At some houses in Corfu such pillars were also to be found at ground level forming a semi public, semi private area for talk and relaxation. Such architectural style was designed to complement the sociability of the Corfiot people and the importance of the sun on the island. One such veranda would be oriented so that in the winter, when the sun was low, it would allow the light to penetrate deep into the house. On the other hand in Corfu’s summer, when the sun was high, it would shade the whole of the front of the building.

This beautiful, old architecture no longer exists in the majority of modern Corfiot villages. The covered verandas are still to be seen but they lack orientation and purpose. Many municipalities are however trying to protect what is left and to encourage the island’s inhabitants to preserve this very old and unique tradition.