Holy monastery of Kalyviani
The monastery of Kalyviani is located in the valley of Messara, at a distance of four kilometres from Moires. The monastic compound developed around the single-nave church of the 14th century. This church, probably the catholicon of an older monastery of hut-dwelling monks, acquired great fame because of its miraculous icon and became an important pilgrimage site already from the 19th century. Initially pilgrim guest houses were organised around it while in the 1950s, after the foundation of the female monastery, the remaining contemporary buildings were constructed. The old church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, in the western section of the monastery preserves in its interior a part of the original wall paintings with scenes from the Christological cycle and the Ten Saints in medallions on the relieving arch. Of particular interest is the built altar screen, on the south of which Christ occupies the place of the pilgrimage icon. North of the church of the All-Holy Virgin is the recently built church of St. Charalambos in whose interior are visible older tombs while remains of blessed fathers are displayed for veneration. To the west of it is the third and largest church of the monastery. This beauteous church which was constructed in the years 1911 – 1924 is dedicated to the three great Marian feasts: the Birth (September 8), the Annunciation (March 25) and the Dormition (August 15). The buildings to its south belong to the late 19th – early 20th centuries while the remaining ones are mainly recent constructions of the second half of the 20th. This period was the period of prosperity for the monastery and its charitable foundations which were established by the then Metropolitan of Gortyna and Arkadia, Timotheos. Special reference should be made to the museum of the monastery which houses a rich ecclesiastical and folk collection with exhibits from the surrounding area of Messara.
