Villa on the Rocks

by Anthony Lopez-Vito
Benitses
Corfu Greece

The jewel of the house is its balcony, stretching the length of the house. All of those who see the moon rising above the mountains of Epirus, shining over the sea behind the bell tower, never forget it.

The house itself is furnished with family pieces, a mixture of Venetian and Greek, with English and Indian additions, purchased during journeys to those countries.

  • 6 bedrooms
  • 4 bathrooms
  • 12 guests

Best for: Families and groups of friends; special events; photo shoots; retreats.

From: €3470/week

Amenities

  • Pool
  • Linen
  • Towels
  • Ironing
  • Hairdryer

The Property

The jewel of the house is its balcony, stretching the length of the house. All of those who see the moon rising above the mountains of Epirus, shining over the sea behind the bell tower, never forget it.

The house itself is furnished with family pieces, a mixture of Venetian and Greek, with English and Indian additions, purchased during journeys to those countries.

Details

View property details

The villa is so composed:

GROUND FLOOR:

The front door of the house opens into the grand ‘SALONI’- a wonderful space for parties as it goes the entire width of the house with doors leading off it to the other rooms. The main 'saloni' offers four rooms leading off it- sitting room, formal dining room, library and shower room. From here French windows lead onto the balcony and another door leads onto the staircase to the first floor. The balcony is fully furnished with tables, chairs and couches.

The SITTING ROOM has a television with satellite news and sport channels, and a DVD player with a large selection of DVDs. There is also a day bed which can be used for a guest who does not wish to climb stairs.

The formal DINING ROOM has antique maps and prints, and the table comfortably seats 10 people.

From the LIBRARY a door leads to the downstairs toilet.

The SHOWER ROOM has a built in double shower, great for cooling off after a day in the sun and a washing machine.

The large farmhouse KITCHEN is the ‘hub’ of the house, with a table for informal dining and a sofa and comfortable chairs. There is a wood stove (nowadays mostly used for storage!), gas hob and a double electric oven and a dishwasher. Under the ‘island’ is a fridge, a freezer, and storage drawers and cup boards. A larger fridge is in the utility room behind the kitchen. Large cupboards conceal the microwave, cookery books, china, glasses.

UPPER FLOOR:

Each bedroom has its own individual character, be it Venetian, Greek or British. Each bedroom is provided with mosquito nets and fans with remote controls.

The Venetian Room has sea view and garden view as it is on a corner, and has a small double bed.

The large Village Room has sea view and contains a double bed and a single bed.

The Green Room also has sea view, and has two single beds.

The Victorian Room has a single brass bedstead, and looks out over the garden.

The Thirties Room is named for its furniture, a walnut double bed with matching wardrobes and dressing table. This room can be en suite as the smaller shower and toilet adjoin it. This has two doors so can be accessed from the landing or from the Thirties Room. The family bathroom contains a wonderful cast iron roll top bath tub but also a modern shower and toilet.


OUTDOORS:

The freshwater pool situated about 40 metres from the house is for guests' private use. There are shaded areas around it and in the orange groves, and garden furniture so that you can enjoy eating outside as well as relaxing on a sun lounger.

The owner lives close by and can easily be reached for assistance during your stay.


***EOT licence 0829K920004001***

Bedrooms Configuration

Bedroom 1 - 1 Double Bed , sea view

Bedroom 2 - 1 Double Bed , 1 Single Bed , sea view

Bedroom 3 - 2 Single Bed s, sea view

Bedroom 4 - 1 Double Bed , mountain view

Bedroom 5 - 1 Double Bed , mountain view

Bedrooms 6 - Located on the ground floor, with an adjoining bathroom (shower)

Facilities and Services

A/C in all bedrooms.

AVAILABLE SERVICES:

Pre-stocking of fridge

Personal Chef

Car hire

Water taxi

Private boat trips

Fishing trips

Private yacht tours

Guided hiking tours

Beauty and massages at home

Yoga

Vineyard tour

Cooking lessons

Painting lessons

Pool and Spa

Immersed in orange grove is a private fresh water swimming pool 12m X 5m, surrounded by a paved area for sunbathing and relaxing. The pool is not fenced.

Special Touches

The LIBRARY has a large selection of books (mainly English), including some about Corfu and other parts of Greece and a Welcome Booklet can be found in the house containing useful information.

Good to Know

Children are welcome, however due to the low walls, and long drops the house is only recommended for children old enough to be able to be trusted to be sensible, or who are supervised outside, and on the balcony. The ground floor sitting room has a single day bed which can be used for someone who does not want to climb stairs. All ground floor rooms except the WC are wheelchair accessible, however the area outside the house is uneven and might be difficult for someone who finds walking difficult.

Photos

Location

BY AIR:

the nearest airport is Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport.

The villa is located 25 minutes drive from Corfu airport - direct flights from all major European cities in summer, and there are also year round domestic flights from Athens or Thessalonika (flight time 45 minutes).

BY SEA:

the villa is located 30 minutes away from the port (local ferries to the Greek mainland regularly and international ferries from Italy in summer).

How to get there

The nearest village is Benitses, a fishing village which has acquired a reputation for the quality of its restaurants. A marina has been built alongside the old harbour, and a walk there from the house (about 20 minutes), will take you there through a maze of narrow streets, all whitewashed, and gardens bright with geraniums. The village has a bakery, supermarkets and a pharmacy. There is also an English speaking doctor on call 24 hours a day.

The house is set in five acres of land filled with citrus trees, olive groves, and gardens ensuring total privacy. The views are spectacular, looking across the Corfu Channel to mainland Greece. In front of the house is the private chapel of St Stephen, and to the side are the old farm buildings, with an interesting history of their own, as over the centuries they have been rented to monks, nuns (the aunt of Tsar Nicholas 2nd brought her nuns there and donated a fine icon to the church), and during the first world war they housed the British staff of a field hospital.

At the bottom of the road is a tunnel leading to a very well kept and welcoming beach, with a small snack bar serving excellent food.

Near the villa are many small shingle coves which you can have almost to yourselves, even in August as well as sandy beaches and beauty spots all over the island.

Villa on the Rocks was built in 1782, by a member of the great Venetian Giustiniani family. It passed by marriage into the Flamburiari family, and more recently was given as a dowry when Lily Flamburiari (the current owners' grandmother) married Petros Manessis. It has a unique place in Corfu's history as the visitors' books show. Elizabeth of Austria and Kaiser Wilhelm 2nd both visited, and a photo on the landing is a gift from Queen Alexandra. More recently Vivienne Leigh, Gerald Durrell and notables in many fields have enjoyed a drink on the balcony whilst watching the sunset.

The furniture shows the family links with Venice, England and India (where Lily Flamburiari was born in 1896), as well as with Greece. The present generation have a cosmopolitan inheritance on both sides, as the Manessis' produced a notable Victorian philosopher-diplomat Sir Peter Vraila-Armeni, who gave Elizabeth of Austria his villa at Gastouri which enabled her to build the Achilleon Palace. He was a highly respected Greek ambassador in St Petersburg and at the Court of St James - indeed when he died Queen Victoria was so upset that she instructed one of her warships to bring his body home to Greece.

Booking Enquiry

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Additional Information

Rates Table

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2024 PeriodRates per week
7 April to 26 April€4370
27 April to 10 May€4600
11 to 24 May€4370
25 May to 7 June€4830
8 to 28 June€4830
29 June to 26 July€5750
27 July to 6 September€7245
7 to 27 September€6095
28 September to 30 October€3990

Booking Conditions

View what's included

Welcome pack (water, wine, fruit juice, salad, fruit, eggs, cheese, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, salt, pepper) and twice weekly maid service are included.

Turn-over days: Saturdays. From the 1 June to the 30 September the min stay is 7 nights. Rest of the year, shorter stays and flexible arrival days may be accepted. Weddings and private events: 10% event fee.

Terms

A non-refundable deposit is required in order to secure a booking. The balance, together with any security deposit, will be requested 60 days prior to your check-in.

Although calendars are updated daily, they may not reflect the latest availability. Always contact Passepartout Homes to discuss availability for your chosen properties.

Rates may vary without prior notice.

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