18/02/2020
Cyprus With
Surrounded by the Troodos mountains and overlooking the sea, Pano Lefkara (Πάνω Λεύκαρα in Greek) is a beautiful Cypriot settlement. Characterised by its countless cobbled lanes and traditional stone cottages, the village is best-known for its traditional embroidery techniques and silversmithing.
Though the village has been inhabited since Neolithic times, the first attestation of the ‘Lefkara’ name was by Saint Neophytos who was born in the area in the 12th-century. Lefkara itself is pretty large in size as it’s divided into two parts; there’s an upper “pano” and lower “kato” village, though the“pano” settlement is where most of the touristic activities and cultural attractions can be found.
Internationally, the settlement is best-known for its folk needlecraft. So iconic is this art that it’s now listed on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage list. This time-consuming craft has been undertaken by the women of Lefkara for centuries and it goes a little like this: the less linen in the final product, the more time has been spent on the piece.
In 1481, Leonardo da Vinci visited Cyprus, and more specifically Pano Lefkara. While there, Da Vinci allegedly took samples of the embroidery with him back to Milano, in what is now Northern Italy. He was so inspired by the craft that he incorporated the design into the tablecloth decoration in the ‘Last Supper painting.’
