The Mansion

The History

The house was built around 1850 and is a representative example of a captain’s neoclassical mansion. It belonged to the family of Captain Vlassopoulos, who lived and prospered here and contributed to the economic and cultural life of Galaxidi; photographs of his sailing ships still hang in the Nautical Museum. In later years it was the residence of the mayor of Galaxidi.

Like any captain’s house in the town it was a self-contained world: two floors, more than two fireplaces, a well for irrigation, a cistern that collected drinking water from the tiles, separate quarters for staff, and the courtyard where trees and vegetables were grown, as they still are. The first floor held the large hall where the captains stretched their sails to repair them and held their feasts on holidays.

The journey back begins at the facade, with the tall palm in the front yard, the cast-iron balcony and the wide windows set in thick cedar frames. At the main entrance you pass through doors carrying two heavy safety crossbars, which tell you plainly that life in the prosperous Galaxidi of that era was not entirely carefree.