Welcome To The Pentati Pirate Trail

Introduction

When you think of pirates you probably conjure up images of Johnny Depp and the rest of his Caribbean cronies but on this trail you are going to meet real pirates.

In the 16^th Century - and for many years thereafter - this part of the Mediterranean was plagued by pirates, mostly Ottomans (from the east, in what is today called Turkey).

The most famous of these was called Barbarossa (‘Red Beard’). He was not only admiral of the Ottoman fleet but an audacious pirate who established his own domain in Tunisia (North Africa).

This part of the Mediterranean became known as the ‘Barbary Coast’.

From Tunis Barbarossa’s ships reached all parts of the Mediterranean - plundering fishing villages in Italy and Greece or merchant ships at sea  on the various trade routes that crisscrossed the seas between Italy, Spain, Greece and the Middle East.

One reason why Pentati – and other Corfu fishing villages like it – is built, not at the water’s edge, but high up the hillside is for protection from these dangerous and determined raiders.

Barbarossa’s fleet consisted of large rowing boats (galleys) manned by hundreds of slaves chained to their benches for months on end. One reason for raiding villages like Pentati, here on Corfu, was to ‘recruit’ men and boys to man these speedy boats.

This was slavery and, if captured you faced years of grueling work at the oars and the constant risk of death or injury in  battle. Men would drown, still chained to their benches.

Pirate Trail Story 1

In our first story we imagine one such pirate raid on the village of Pentati. Although the events of our story are invented, it is based on historical fact.

To read the story you will need to follow the trail that starts in Pentati. A narrated audio version with local actors is also available for those with smart phones and devices with QRC readers.

We hope you enjoy this, the first of our series of Pirate Trails we are creating for your enjoyment and, we hope, instruction.

We may not have ‘Captain Sparrow’ but we do have someone far more fearsome – the real Barbarossa!

The Pirate Treasure

Around the village you will find chests filled with treasure for you to purchase and take home with you. All profits from the treasure will go towards Road Repairs and our Village Project. You can also purchase the audio version of the pirate story as a downloadable product from our online shop.