Kamara
The village of Kamara, one of the oldest on the island, in the Municipal Unit of Achillion of the Municipality of Central Corfu, is located on the NW slope of the mountain of Agioi Deka, in a green environment, full of olives and cypresses, about 10 km south of the city of Corfu.
In the archival sources the village is mentioned from the 13th century, the period of the island's subordination to the Despotate of Epirus, and then under the rule of the Frankish kingdom of the Andigavas of Naples, Italy. Archaeological findings in an excavation just outside the settlement of Alepochori prove the existence of a settlement in the area of Kamara at least from the 5th century BC, while scientists who saw the findings and examined the area speculate that its habitation may be related to the settlement of the defeated oligarchs, after the civil war of Corfu, in 426 BC.
The current Municipal Community of Kamara, is inhabited by about 200 inhabitants and consists of the main village Kamara and three additional settlements; Alepochori to the east is a small settlement with traditional buildings. It is famous for the production of the first quality gunpowder at the beginning of the century and was one of the centres for the production of gunpowder by the method of kilns. Kardamatika is in the north, with the small monumental churches of Agios Vlasios of the 13th century and the Agion Taxiarhon of the 16th century. These churches today are declared monuments, but are not in good condition, however the visitor can still see the exceptional art and Byzantine frescoes. On November 8, a divine service is held every year at The Agion Taxiarhon church. Agioi Theodoroi in the south of the village, where the Holy Monastery of Agios Theodoros and Georgios (16th century) is located, and at the top of the homonymous hill, with amazing views to the west and the beach of Agios Gordis, but also to the east and north .
Kamara is crossed by the walking paths E4 and E8, while the village has natural springs with good quality drinking water and systems from where the villages of the surrounding area are supplied.
The village was chosen in the ‘80s to shoot scenes from the BBC film “My family and other animals”, due to the location and image of the settlement that was in the script.
Located in the small square of Kamara is the church of Panagia ton Vlachernon (18th century) with an ornate iconostasis and ceiling. The church celebrates on the 2nd of July and every year a picturesque traditional Corfiot festival takes place.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL & TOPOGRAPHIC ELEMENTS
During the 60's [1], in the settlement of Kamara, at the northern foot of Mount Agia Deka, ancient architectural parts were found, the most important of which were the three identical small Doric capitals, which prove the existence of a building with a gallery, as well as a capital of post-archaic times.
Remains of Christian monuments of the early Christian, Byzantine and post-Byzantine eras were also found. Specifically, a variety of architectural parts, such as shields and colonnades, were found built into the churches of Taxiarchos Michael and Agios Vlasios. One of the shields, which is preserved intact, is made of porphyry and in terms of the amphiphilic technique. On one side two peacocks are depicted on either side of a cross and on the other side two waterfowls also on either side of a cross. The depiction is reminiscent of shields from the early Christian basilica of Paleopolis in Kanoni. Most likely, there was an early Christian basilica below or near the church of Taxiarchos, which in turn was probably located on an ancient sanctuary.
The presence of the above findings indicates the importance of the area in over time, especially as the mountain of Agioi Deka, with the magnificent view to the city, and not the Pantocrator, is the ancient Istoni [2], which Thucydides mentions [3]. In this case, the ancient sanctuary in the area of Taxiarchos will be the sanctuary of the Dioscuri Istonians.
Recent archaeological research
In 2001, during the excavation works of a rural road by the Municipality of Achillion, and after heavy rains, human bones and a part of a pit were discovered on the farm of St. Kafaraki. A short excavation was carried out by the Ephorate of Prehistoric and classicals, with the co-financing of the Municipality of Achillion [4]. Five tombs and a stone semicircular enclosure were discovered. T1 was ground floor, T2 and T5 tiled roofs, T3 with mixed coverage and T4 stone-clad. At T5 the burial was double. The dead, men and women, were placed in a supine position with the arms slightly bent at the height of the abdomen and had a W-E orientation.
Collected:
· Fragments of pottery from the Hellenistic period.
· Two bases of pointed amphorae 4th-3rd c. e.g.
· Eight textile weights
· Copper vessel handle
. 6 copper coins coming from Corfu, Cephalonia and Macedonia and dating from the 5th to the 1st c. A.D.
[1] P. Kalligas, Archaeological Bulletin 23, 1968, Chronicles, p. 351
[2] Ι. Bounias, Corfu vols. AD, pp.21-24. I. Parts, The Island of Corfu, (translation 1892), p. 356
[3] Thuc. C 85.4 and D 46, 1-2
[4] Archaeological Bulletin 2001-2004, p. 224