14 Feb Cortile delle Stelle
Cortile delle Stelle or Courtyard of the Stars is a 19th century renovated farmhouse with a ‘canava’ (winery). It dates back to the 1830s, and is located, as all traditional farmhouses, in the outskirts of a settlement- in particular of the medieval village of Emporio – and its 15th century fortress ‘Castelli’ located at the top of the village, built to protect the island inhabitants from pirates like Hayreddin Barbarossa who raided Santorini in 1537.
All the ground floor buildings are stone-built and were used by a farming family as far back as nearly 200 years ago. As you enter the courtyard, the first building ‘NIDO‘ used to be the area where the animals were kept. NIDO has its own entrance and today can comfortably accommodate two people in its queen-sized bedroom, and private bathroom with shower. The living room features a couch that can also accommodate an extra person. In NIDO’s bedroom you could see the animal feeders preserved in their original form.
Next to “NIDO” featuring a separate entrance is “CASA”, the main house of the family, consisting now of a master bedroom with a queen-size bed, a second bedroom with full-size bunk beds, a living room and private bathroom with shower. The couch in the living room can also be used to accommodate an extra person.
Next to CASA, we see the entrance of the old winery. The winery “CANAVA” with dramatic 5m (15ft) high domed ceilings, was used for wine making and wine storing in barrels in the 19th century. Where the palatial like bedroom domed ceiling is today, you could see the opening from where the manually harvested grapes were dropped. After the grapes were sorted, they were de-stemmed and crushed. After crushing and pressing, the juice and grape skins were poured to an egg-shaped earthenware vessel called “lino”, now underneath the spacious domed shower, for collection. Next to it a second smaller area for grapes sorting and crushing and a second “lino” exists to be used for different types of grapes processed. Wine plays a vital role in everyday life and in the celebration of religious events and rituals. Wine cellars are still considered a special place in the family home. The canava has only two small windows, high up on opposite walls facing each other. This is the traditional design used to provide for ventilation without affecting the rather stable temperature needed for the wine well-being year round. CANAVA also features a “safe room” where people used to keep their goods from invaders.
At the far end, a full size kitchen and indoor 10-person dining table complete the needs of guests that choose ‘Cortile delle Stelle’ for longer stays. In the kitchen one can find the site of an old raki –local spirit made with the grape skins- still as well as an old wood oven preserved as a decorative element.
The impressive and ample courtyard is surrounded by a stone– wall offering seclusion and serenity for a care-free family holiday. The courtyard is featuring a 10-person alfresco dining table and the 10m long beautiful swimming pool with waterfall, but mostly of all is offering an unforgettable view of the stars!!
Perfectly suited for larger or smaller families and even sets of families, this villa provides a peaceful alcove in Emporio Santorini, from where you can explore all that Santorini has to offer.