The Vareltzidaina “archontiko” (traditional “mansion”) is one of the few surviving examples on Lesbos from the late 18th-early 19th century in which notable mural decoration is preserved. It is a two-storey building standing at the centre of Petra. Its architecture follows the typical design of the “archontiko”, widely disseminated at this period, which was usually built in the middle of a country property and enclosed by a wall. The solid, stone-built ground floor gives the residence the appearance of a fortress, resembling earlier fortified country houses.
The ground floor is divided into two rooms and was used mainly for storage. The upper storey is of bagdati (a light timber and plaster construction) and consists of seven rooms articulated around the periphery of a central chayati (balcony). The interior design of the rooms was completely in keeping with the daily requirements and way of life of the inhabitants.
The everyday and formal life of the family unfolded on the upper storey. It is virtually certain that there was no movable furniture, and that furnishing requirements were met by architectural devices. Low couches in the living rooms were used for seating purposes during the day and as beds at night. The bedding was folded in the morning and placed in the mesandres (built-in cupboards) that occupied one side of the room. All the elements of which the upper storey is composed have a clear decorative intent. The most important rooms have murals with landscapes dominated by water, depictions of cities and popular motifs of the time, such as palmettes, flower-vases, garlands of flowers, etc.
The compositions are executed in a neoclassical style with elements of Turkish baroque. The painted decoration follows the system of interior decoration that was widespread at the end of the 18th century and is similar to that encountered in country houses throughout the Balkan peninsula and Asia Minor, in the new urban and semi-urban townships that were directly related to trade, particularly trade with Central Europe. A characteristic feature of this painting is the blending of the Turkish-Moslem decoration known from palaces of Ottoman officials with influences from contemporary European currents (baroque, rococo and neoclassicism) and the tradition of Post-Byzantine religious painting.
The aesthetic of the Vareltzidaina “archontiko” is classical, with a controlled symmetry and balance in both the architecture and the decoration. The effect of luxury is achieved by very austere means, producing a striking result. The “archontiko” was restored in 1999-2000 by then 14th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, with a grant from INTERREG II. It is now a monument open to the public, with a multi-media room on the ground floor and information panels relating the history of the monument and of Lesbos in general. On the upper floor are displayed objects of the period, donated by Anthi Malliaka-Efstathiadou.
