More Information & Photos of this Hotel
The Tsitouras Collection is located
in Firostefani, just 700 meters from the Main Town of
Fira, which can be either a scenic walk or a quick taxi ride. There is
a magnificent view of the Volcano from the Veranda.
It is easily accessible via Air & Boat transportation, 8 km from
Santorini Airport and Athinios Port.
The mansion that forms the nucleus of the Tsitouras Collection
was built in 1780. Over the centuries, it has served as a school, post office,
and private home, and is now an exclusive hotel. It was renovated in 1985 by the
famous collector Dimitris Tsitouras.
Dimitris Tsitouras is a lifelong art lover and historian, as
well as the author of many books about the island, known as the Greek Pompeii.
The Tsitouras Collection provides the facilities and an elegant
background against which to present new products. It also provides an area for
groups of up to 15 at once, or several smaller areas for working groups,
discussions, meetings.
The Houses have a capacity of between two and five persons each, and are
named after the unique collection in each one:
The Houses:
The House of Nureyev: This is the house preferred by
honeymooners, perched as it is above the others in a dancer´s
pirouette. The name is derived from the collection of sketches depicting the
late, great Rudolf Nureyev in his various appearances in
Athens. This house is the only one to have its own veranda overlooking the
caldera, which is also visible from the bathroom, through the arched doorway of
the house. Among the other features of the bathroom are the rare Isnik ceramic
tiles.
The decorative objects and furniture here illuminate aesthetic and conceptual
aspects of Greek history: an ancient amphora, a Byzantine icon,
an engraving. Two Venetian candelabra, an antique engraved island sofa.
The dining room table is a noteworthy piece: the basis a 19th century
marble column; the top is a transparent surface of beveled plate glass
above which rises the remaining marble column to round its form.
Luxury, elegance, and exceptional quality: all are interwoven harmonically to
make an ideal holiday retreat offering comfort, peace and aesthetic
appreciation. Inside are rare collections and works of art; outside is the
magical landscape of Santorini.
The House of the Sea: The House of the Sea is one of
the five unique accommodations at The Tsitouras Collection. It
has a characteristic atmosphere of romance, with hints of distant destinations
and evidence of the lure of the sea.
Memories of the sea spring up directly and indirectly from
among the furniture and objects. Each one of the hand-painted wooden chest
covers that once belonged to Mytilenian seamen has a story to tell. Fabulously
framed English, Italian and German nautical maps, ranging in date from both the
16th to the 19th century adorn the interior.
The Greco-Roman bathroom has been lined with pristine white marble, accented
with black detail. There is a collection of 19th century charcoal sketches of
male nudes by an anonymous Greek artist, an 18th century Russian icon depicting
the stern figure of St Nicholas, patron saint of the sea, and there is one of
the great Picasso rare ceramic pieces bearing three incised
relief fish, which even the most demanding of visitors would not expect to find
in a hotel.
The House of Porcelain: A collection of valuable white and blue
19th century Minton and Royal Copenhagen porcelain plates
worked and painted by hand is the characteristic feature of this house; they are
displayed in an authentic china cabinet from the same era. The warm lemon colour
of the walls makes the atmosphere particularly hospitable and shows off the
furniture, decorations and works of art to the best possible advantage.
Among these are: elaborate Venetian mirrors, an 18th century
icon in an old marble frame, a French engraving from the last century, a
traditional gate-leg dining room table; an authentic Corfiot commode, a typical
card-table and wonderful 18th century ecclesiastical table in the entrance hall.
On the wall behind the Napoleon bed is a magnificent piece of silk embroidered
with gold thread; flanking the bed on both sides are specially designed.
Through the arched windows in the dining room one can see the breath-taking
landscape, the meeting of sea and sky in a vast blue world with the volcano
somewhere in between. A refreshing island breeze brings one back down to earth,
but the sense of greatness remains..
The House of Winds: A collection of engravings contained in the travel
book by James Stuart and Nicholas Revett.The Antiquities of Athens London
(1762-1816) depicting the ancient Tower of the Winds has given its name to this
lovely house. Its rooms have high, vaulted ceilings, an airy light blue on the
walls, and timeless elegance in the authentic Santorinian period furniture:
beauty, harmony, consistency of decor.
Hanging from the ceiling of the living room is a silver Venetian oil lamp
adorned with cherubim. Also from Venice are the carved wooden lamps on tall
stands that flank the main entrance. A Corfiot commode is surrounded by
Biedermeier chairs, while drums from ancient marble columns rest comfortably
next to modern furniture, functioning as side tables.
In the bedroom, where comfort is paramount, decor is provided by ceramic
Tanagran dolls; three rare photographs of the Tower of the Winds can be found in
the dressing room. In this environment, a piano is certainly not an accidental
detail: it provides yet another means of expression, enabling the imagination to
take wing.
The House of Portraits: This is the core of the initial 18th
century structure around which the five luxury houses of The
Tsitouras Collection have been built. The name derives from the
collection of beautifully framed portraits gracing its walls, alongside oil
paintings and engravings of philhellenic subjects. The specially designed
furniture, although modern, blends in beautifully with the various
Tsitouras Collection pieces.
These include: two large tables consisting of wood and bronze bases and heavy
polygonal marble tops; a 19th century wooden baptismal font which has become a
marvelous coffee table; an old console, and two superb chests from Mytilene.
The decorative objects have been selected with great care and superb taste: two
elaborate 19th century candelabra, antique mirrors in gilt
frames, Russian icons, ancient oil lamps, carved wooden cherubs and other gilt
pieces from an icon screen, bust of Sappho by an Italian sculptor. The
House of Portraits is characterized by a mysterious, dream-like quality
with haunting echoes of past lovers.
The Tsitouras Collection Villa: Small luxury villa on the edge of the
cliff, right next to the old Tsitouras´ country house.
When you walk in, you're so dazzled by the beauty that you're unsure whether the
vision before you has just risen foam-flecked from the sea or wafted in on the
air. In fact, the building stands firmly on the black Theran land, flirting with
the salt air and caressing the sky. Sulphur, salt, water... Elements with the
power of alchemy join in the exciting game of transmutation that its owner knows
so well... Inside, the villa consists of a sitting room, a fully equipped
kitchen and three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, all carefully laid out
to activate the feeling of comfort. Outside is the blue of the pool that appears
to merge seamlessly, symbolically into the open sea.
The decorative style is well known. Spare, elegant, luxury. Works of art from
Dimitris Tsitouras´ favourite periods - ancient Hellenic, Byzantine and modern
Greek - adorn the most unlikely corners, creating surprises everywhere.
Furniture, objects, icons, paintings and sculptures, all provide visual stimuli
and aesthetic associations, against a mythic, incredibly beautiful backdrop.
Plato´s lines in the Sophist are absolutely fitting: ...We´ll tell how, on one
side he creates a real house by building it, and on the other side, a second by
painting it, like a beautiful day-dream.
House Facilities:
- Mini library
- Satellite TV
- DVD player
- Direct dial phone
- Safe deposit boxes
- Swimming pool (TC Villa)
- Wet bar (which is complimentary)
- A CD player (with a special CD selection by the owner)
- All bathrooms are in Greek white marble and are fully equipped with
hairdryer, bathrobes, slippers
| Services & Facilities: | Top |
- Restaurant
- Facilities for small private parties
- Boutique containing a number of the Tsitouras Collection
items that you may wish to purchase as a souvenir of your unforgettable
vacation
The Tsitouras Collection provides the facilities and an elegant
background against which to present new products. It also provides an area for
groups of up to 15 at once, or several smaller areas for working groups,
discussions, meetings.
An a-la-carte breakfast is served throughout the day, on tables laid with
silver cutlery and special designed dishes. Lunch and dinner proposals are also
available either from the exceptional menu or in the form of a private 6-course
dining in the stunning "Maria Callas Terrace". It is offered
Mediterranean cuisine, with emphasis on fresh seafood and fish.
There are also facilities for small Private
Parties as this Complex is also available as a whole Unit.
Philosophy: Behind the elegant Santorini Hotel
and Athens showroom of The Tsitouras Collection lays
an entire philosophy. As can be seen from the description of the TC Houses, the
Tsitouras philosophy emphasizes the ageless Greek
style, with lovely objects demonstrating the sparse lines of classical
antiquity, the saintly face of Byzantine iconography, the decorative element of
the Renaissance Venetian connection, the opulence of 18th and 19th century
objects, and the beauty and functionality of the best-designed products of the
present century. For the 21st century, the Tsitouras philosophy
aspires to elegant simplicity based on the successful synthesis of all these
historical elements, not as an abstract concept, but as a practical proposal for
solutions that will make life more meaningful.
Awards: The Tsitouras Collection believes
excellence should be rewarded. So they have created Awards and Distinctions
given on official and private occasions, Awards that meet a need both in
Greece and abroad. For example, on behalf of the Onassis Foundation,
they created all the prizes given to the Greek medalists at the
1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Also, a number of companies
including Toyota and Roche have asked the Tsitouras Collection
to design Cups for Sporting Events, musical occasions etc. But The
Tsitouras Collection is perhaps best known for its sponsorship of two
local Awards: the Apollo Award for Music and the annual Europe-wide
Tsitouras Collection Cup for the best foreign Rider and the best
Greek Rider in Equestrian Events.
The Tsitouras Collection provides the facilities and an elegant
background against which to present new products. It also provides an area for
groups of up to 15 at once, or several smaller areas for working groups,
discussions, meetings.
Greece, Cyclades Islands, Santorini, Fira - Firostefani
