Discovering the Benaki Museum and the Leigh Fermor House: A Literary Journey in Greece

Anna Kwiecinska
Feb 15
4 min read

Updated: Mar 2

The Benaki Museum: A Hidden Gem

Many Australians and other travelers are familiar with the Benaki Museum in Athens. A visit to the Museum’s striking neo-classical building in central Athens is often part of a trip to the Greek capital. However, less well known is that the Athens building—home to the Museum of Greek Culture—is just one of nine sites operated by the Benaki in Athens and beyond.

One of these sites, the Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor House near coastal Kardamyli on the Mani Peninsula in the southern Peloponnese, plays an important role in the Museum’s mission. The goal is to “support research into history, archaeology, and the study of material culture, architecture, photography, visual and performing arts, and literature.” The good news is that this remarkable house provides an opportunity that is accessible to Australians.

Stone house patio with wooden chairs, stone wall, and trees casting shadows. Sunlit ambiance creates a tranquil, rustic setting. — The typical architecture of the Leigh Fermor House, built in the 1960s, was the result of a collaboration between Patrick and Joan Leigh-Fermor, and Athenian architect Nikos Hadjimichalis

The Legacy of the Leigh Fermor House

The Fermor House was gifted to the Museum by Sir Patrick (‘Paddy’) Leigh Fermor, an adventurer, travel writer, hero of the Cretan resistance in WW2, and Hellenist, along with his wife, photographer Joan. Designed and built in collaboration with Athenian architect Nikos Hadjimichalis in the mid-1960s, the house overlooks the Messenian Gulf. It is situated on a narrow stretch of land beneath Mount Taygetus and serves as the centerpiece of a nine-acre property. This property is comprised of a productive olive grove, citrus trees, cypress, oaks, and an extensive Mediterranean garden. Constructed from local stone and featuring architectural remnants sourced from local houses destroyed in mid-century earthquakes, it is often described as one of the outstanding residences in Greece.

Stone corridor with arched ceilings, wooden doors, and chairs. Sunlight creates shadow patterns on the tiled floor, evoking a tranquil mood. — The arcade of Joan and Patrick Leigh-Fermors' home in the Mani

In addition to its architectural significance, the Fermor House became renowned as a gathering place for the intellectual and artistic elite of Greece and beyond. The Fermors counted among their friends literary Nobel Laureate George Seferis, artists Nikos Ghika and John Craxton, poet John Betjeman, and writers Lawrence Durrell and Bruce Chatwin.

By bequeathing the house to the Benaki Museum, the Fermors fostered the House’s legacy as a center for intellectual engagement. They stipulated that it should host gatherings of scholars undertaking research and writing associated with the Museum’s broadly described areas of interest.

A New Era for the Fermor House

After a period of repair funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Fermor House opened to researchers in 2023. The Benaki Museum now runs an international fellowship program in conjunction with universities in the United States (Princeton University and the University of California, Los Angeles) and Germany (Freie University). Two five-week Fellowship sessions are held annually in the northern winter (November-December) and spring (February-March), with each session accommodating four fellows.

The program is designed to ‘create space’ for concentrated work. It provides independent living and workspaces while offering additional support via staff-assisted housework, shopping, and cooking.

In the recent winter session, I had the privilege of being the first Australian to benefit from a Fellowship. Sharing the experience with scholars from the US, UK, and Germany provided an ideal environment for focused attention on my own work. I also enjoyed the stimulating exposure to other researchers.

Working at Leigh Fermor’s own writing desk, I made considerable progress on my current research, “Sidney Nolan, Greek Classicism and Antipodean Modernity.” This project undertakes the first detailed account and assessment of Nolan’s painting completed while living on the Greek island of Hydra in 1955 and ’56.

Cozy office with a wooden desk, large lamp, and open French doors. Fireplace on the left, bookshelves on the right, garden view. — Patrick Leigh-Fermor's desk at Kardamyli

The Connection to Hydra

The Leigh Fermor House has a strong connection to Hydra. The Leigh Fermors lived on Hydra for fifteen months in 1954 and 1955 while Paddy completed writing his book Mani, his first major travel book and a guide to the Mani Peninsula. On Hydra, they resided in the mansion house of their good friend, Greek painter Nikos Ghika. Paddy, often troubled by meeting deadlines, found that the isolation offered by the house high on the slopes above Hydra Port enabled him to make good progress with his writing. Both he and Joan loved the island landscape.

A decade later, when they built their own house on the Mani Peninsula, they chose a location and style markedly influenced by their time in Ghika’s Hydra house. Sadly, the Ghika house was burnt down to its foundations in 1961 in an accidentally started fire. The ruins of the house remain to this day, and the desolately beautiful spot continues to attract admirers of both Ghika and the Leigh Fermors. Ghika’s ‘lost house’ also has a strong Australian connection. The next inhabitants after the Leigh Fermors departed were Sidney and Cynthia Nolan, where Nolan completed an extensive series of ‘Greek paintings.’

Cozy room with a long white sofa and striped cushions. Three windows reveal a garden view. Bookshelves and warm lamps create a serene vibe. — The sitting room in the Leigh-Fermor House

Exploring the Surroundings

My Fellowship at the Leigh Fermor House was not solely about work. The five-week period provided ample opportunity to explore the ancient coastal and mountain villages that are a feature of a region highly regarded for its adherence to traditions of Greek rural life. Close to the House, the attractive village of Kardamyli is easily reached by a spectacular walk through olive groves and along oceanside cliff tops.

For those who wish to use their leisure time for more strenuous outings, the Mani is home to some of Greece’s most admired hiking trails. Kalamitsi Beach, lying directly below the House, allows fellows to follow in Paddy’s wake by swimming daily around nearby Merope Island.

Paul Genoni

The author, Dr. Paul Genoni, with Prof. Tanya Dalziell, presented a series of seminars and writing workshops on Hydra in October 2025 in a unique literary adventure curated by Anna Kwiecinska.