History
Filomen Murat, my French grandmother, inherited this villa from her uncle Theofanis Tripolitis. The titles of the family house reach back to before the 1900's. This makes it one of the oldest and most historic houses of Santorini. Its construction is estimated at about 1850-1875, but due to the lack of archives the exact construction date cannot be verified. These kind of houses in the Aegean Sea islands, are rare and unique. They are called “Kapetanospita” (Captain’s Houses) and they are equivalent to American Mansions, since they were the largest private buildings until the 1970's, and only Captains (boat owners) could afford to build and sustain them.
Villa Murat takes its name from my grandmother Filomen Murat, who holds the coat of arms used as the Villa logo from her direct ancestor Antoine Murat. Antoine Murat was appointed Viscount by his first cousin, Joachim Murat, King of Naples and son in Law of Napoleon Bonaparte I, Emperor of the French 1804-1814.
This house was one of the very few that was kept intact during the great earthquake of 1956 which was 20th century’s greatest earthquake in Europe.