 The Minoan villa of Amnissos, the "House of the Lilies" as it was called, was built
in the Late Minoan IA period (1550-1500 BC). It is an impressive two-story stone residence.
Evidence of a violent shift of the structure
indicates that it was destroyed by an earthquake. The main reception hall
has two central pillars and walls decorated with frescoes of exceptional quality.
These frescoes depict an artificial landscape dominated by lilies.
Another large room had a six-fold polythyron leading to a veranda with a view
to the sea. The villa is considered to have belonged to a high-ranking seaman.
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