Situated at "Palaeochora", at Amnissos, some 9
kilometres eastern to Heraklion, this Minoan villa has been named after
the the famous frescoes with blossomed lillies which decorated the walls
of the building.
It had been built during the Middle Minoan IIIA period, that is to say
in the 17th century b.C., and, according to the excavator, collapsed
in 1500 b.C. by an earthquake.
It is a typical two-storey Minoan villa, made of limestone, with a
big hall with "polythyra" (pier-and-door partition), a luxurious bathroom,
a sanctuary, staircases and roofed and stone paved spaces.
The villa was discovered during the excavations conducted in 1932 by the
eminent Greek archaeologist Prof. Spyridon Marinatos. The monument suffered
damages by the German army during the German domination of the island. |
