Villa Rossa Area

The private sea-front residence of a wealthy representative of a tobacco company and his family, stood for many decades apart from the rest of the town, offering immediate access to the beautiful Kryoneri beach and uninterrupted views of Parga town and castle.

Large storage rooms were created, where Rosanea Hotel stands today, to house the drying tobacco – a testimony of the Area’s ideal natural temperature that remains cool even during the height of summer.
The courtyard and garden formed part of the manor house’s grounds while the smaller red house was home to those who worked at the villa.

The olive grove on the pristine hill was planted at the same time the manor house was built. Always boasting the same deep red color as today, Villa Rossa was given its ‘name’ during the Second World War by the occupying Italian forces who commandeered the building and used it as their headquarters.

As there were no hotels in the town Villa Rossa hosted all prominent dignitaries passing through Parga until the early 1960s, when the owner’s wife passed away. An important person in her own right, Aphrodite Bizileki-Antoniadou, was one of the first women elected to local government in Greece.

Having learned basic medicine from her second husband, an ophthalmologist, for decades she offered free medical services to local people, while in the post World War Two era Villa Rossa also functioned as a housekeeping/finishing school for young women.
Turned hotel and restaurant in the 1970s the Villa Rossa Area is today co-owned and run by Aphrodite’s great niece.

Much like throughout it’s long history the landmark area continues to be a meeting point for visitors from all around the world! For more on the history of the Villa Rossa Area you are welcome to visit our museum on the ground floor of the Villa Rossa.