Marmaro

Marmaro, meaning Marble in Greek, is a small village and lies in the hills on the western side of Corfu.
The first settlers, in post Byzantine times, were pirates who had fled the armies of the empire and
became fugitives. They made makeshift settlements in the inaccessible areas above the Ropa Valley.
Around 1783 the villagers lived under a Venetian feudal lord Marco Marcello. They cultivated the
land for the lord and lived in poverty.
The architecture is unusual for Corfu as the use of marble can be seen at the church and around
arched doorways.
The church here is called Aghia Marina. Dating back to 1630, its foundation is celebrated on the 17th
July. Two other churches were built sometime later but the church of Saint John is now a convent
and the church of Saint Panteleimon was sacked and destroyed by pirates.
As you enter the village you can easily miss the very old arched bridge, which was built centuries
ago. It wasn’t for a while until I realised where the bridge was. I had taken a photograph on the main
road opposite the church and noticed I was standing on it.
The kafenion serves the local villagers and any strangers that happen to walk by. There is no tourism
in Marmaro: it is a very simple place which hasn’t change much in centuries. This is a great place to
practice your Greek, as many of the people I met spoke very little English. All this information was kindly supplied from the books written by Steve Ford and the money raised from sales of these goes to Corfu Charities. Please use the link below to download your own copy and find more information on all the villages listed and more from Steve