The history of Agios Stefanos begins during the Stone Age (3.000 – 2.000 B.C). Our oral tradition speaks of a sunk city, about which the old fishermen knew and which is now lost somewhere in the open sea. It is also said that there lay, among the underwater ruins, ancient pillars and a great number of ancient pots. The myth of the sunk city, the river and the small ship-shaped rock are mentioned by Homer in his Odyssey. All the above led the German archaeologist, Dorpfeld, to conduct excavations in the area of Agios Stefanos between 1972-1973 revealed some very interesting Neolithic settlements, kept in the archaeological museum of the City of Corfu.
Transfer from Corfu Airport/Port to S. Stefanos NW Corfu
Corfu Taxi Choice
S. Stefanos NW Corfu
The Pirate Story
In the Byzantine Era the church of Agios Stefanos was built and the area was named after it. At that time the local people came up with another story about the “stone – ship”; when the pirates came to loot the church of Agios Stefanos, which was built on the island of Diaplos, Saint Stephane to whom the church is dedicated was infuriated and punished them by turning their ship into stone!
Because of the fear of pirates, the area of Agios Stefanos was not regularly inhabited, until 1974, there was a pottery home manufacture with the traditional method which flourished thanks to the high quality of the clay of the area. Unfortunately, the little church was deserted through the years. But in 1930 a young monk decided to rebuild it and to dedicate his life to it. Around the church of Agios Stefanos, feasts and festivals are organized every summer. This quiet corner of Greece is a part of the Greek history, which bears together the past and the present, myth and reality!