Who was Patrick Leigh Fermor?
Fermor was a young British aristocrat who left his posh lifestyle in the 1930s to travel from Holland to Istanbul on whatever means of transportation he could find. He often moved on foot or on horseback and kept a detailed journal of his escapades. This journal later was published into a trilogy with the first book titled A Time of Gifts.
Fermor recounts enrolling in the British army and making his way to the island of Crete in the disguise of a shepherd. He was really an anti-Nazi spy and he went to Greece to help the locals kidnap a German general. His journey lasted 13 months and Fermor only left with a rucksack, sleeping in workhouses and barns. He drank and made friends with farmers and budding Nazis.
Fermor travels to Mani, in the Peloponnese
In the south Peloponnese is a series of 3 rocky peninsulas that jut into the Mediterranean Sea. The middle one is the most remote, and it is called the Mani peninsula. In Mani, supposedly the people are descended from Spartans.
In the 1960s after his retirement, Fermor found his way to Mani Peninsula and built a remarkable house near the village of Kardamyli, which was 35 kilometers from the regional capital of Kalamata. Unlike the rest of the Mani peninsula, where some areas have grown with the influence of tourists, Kardamyli keeps some old-world charm. Fermor is quoted saying “We saw a peninsula ending in crescent-shaped beaches … We walked down into a gently sloping world of the utmost magical beauty.”
Fermor Builds a House in Mani
Patrick and his wife, Joan, were always drawn to places of seclusion. He wanted peace and quiet, and as a result, he chose a location for the home that was in a ravine outside of Kardamyli’s central area, and which had a view of the Mediterranean Sea.
It was complicated to buy land in Greece and they spent 2 years in this process. However, when they started building, Patrick Leigh Fermor was treated like a celebrity by the locals. In a show of classic Greek hospitality, the vendors allowed Patrick and his wife Joan to spend 2 months living in a tent on the site. While there, they read books on architecture together and make sketches for the house.
Work on the house started in 1965. Local workers dynamited stone out of the hill, it was made into blocks on the spot, and donkeys carried it to the worksite. According to an old tradition from Mani, a blood sacrifice was required, and the master builder brought a rooster to be sacrificed. A priest visited to sprinkle holy water on the site. The Fermor couple made trips to Kalamata every now and then to scavenge old pieces of marble and stonework that were abandoned in old houses.
Fermor’s House Donated to the Benaki Museum
In 1996, Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor donated their home to the Benaki Museum, because they wanted other intellectuals and scholars to work or study there in an inspiring location. Today, it operates as a venue for educational activities, seminars, fellowships, and cultural events in partnership with Universities in Greece and abroad. They installed a new heating system, cleaned and replaced the roof tiles, and replanted parts of the garden, making sure to preserve the wild rosemary, cypress and olive trees which always gave the home a characteristic aroma.
One of the quirks of the house is that there are books everywhere. There are almost 2000 in the home. The subjects of these books are history, art history, biography, literature, and poetry — but there are also dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and anthologies based on birds, beasts, fishes, and stars.
Visiting Patrick Leigh Fermor’s House
The House is open to the public with scheduled visits throughout the year. The museum ensures the preservation of the house and its contents. The Leigh Fermors also allow the property to be rented for 3 months per year. You can inquire about bookings here.
The Patrick & Joan Leigh Fermor House is considered one of the most beautiful properties in Greece. Within a Mediterranean garden of cypress trees, olive trees, fragrant shrubs, white oleanders and wild flowers rolling down to the sea, stand three stone buildings: the Main House with three suites, the writer’s studio right next to it, which is formed into the Traditional House, as well as the Guest House, adjacent to the Main House.
