Snow White Villa - Villa Cressida

The final place the Durrells called home until 1939 was Villa Cressida, the 'Snow-White Villa'. This was by far the most beautiful Georgian building the Durrells called home and was once a weekend retreat for the British High Commissioners during the years Britain ruled Corfu (1817-1864), it stands on a prominent rise overlooking Lake Halikiopoulou, with its own acres of olive trees, and its own small church.

Still owned by the Palatiano family, who rented it to Mrs Durrell its current tenant deliberately keeps the grounds in a state of nature With it close proximity to Lake Halikiopoulou the former Venetian salt-flats, christened by Gerald, then aged 12 as the ‘Chessboard Fields’ 

Lawrence and Nancy still visited the family as they has done after leaving the Daffodil yellow villa, but in the June of 1939 the sounds of war were nearing and Louisa decided to take the family back to England. The villa is now private property.