Panagia
Agia Moni (Holy Monastery) of Viannos Convent
Agia Moni, a convent dedicated to the Dormition of Mother Mary, is located at the exit of Afrati canyon. According to tradition, it was built by three Cypriot nuns, who initially built the church of Agios Dimitrios (St. Demetrius) in Keratokambos. The monastery operated until 1842 but was deserted from 1842 to 1865. On August […]
Church of Panagia (Mother Mary) / Church of Agia Ekaterini (St. Catherine) (Ano Viannos)
The hamlet of Ano Viannos is home to many important churches, including the church of Panagia i Liontarini (Mother Mary of the Lion), where, according to tradition, there was an artful Venetian marble lion, and the 14th century church of Agia Ekaterini (built in 1360) with well-preserved murals.
Panagia (Mother Mary) of Detis (milliarado)
South of Embaros, on a hillside called ‘Detis’ by the locals, lies the pilgrimage of Panagia. It is a small cavernous church built in a crack within the rock, where, according to tradition, the icon of the Virgin Mary that left the church of ‘Kato Kera’ in order to escape the Ottomans is located.
Agios Panteleimon (St. Pantaleon) (Bitzariano)
The Byzantine church of Agios Panteleimon, dating back to the 10th century, is a three-aisled basilica with two rows of colonnades. It is possible that, in antiquity, there was an Asclepeion at the site of the church. The aisles are dedicated to Saint Pantaleon, the Life-giving Font and Saint John. Few murals survive today, on […]
Panagia Kera (Our Lady) or Zoodochos Pigi (Life-Giving Font) (Ini)
The Church of Panagia Kera is located next to the small dam of Kera, southeast of Ini. Beside the church, which is located in a verdant landscape, there is a small cave containing a spring that, according to tradition, is miraculous.
Church of Sotiras Christos (Christ the Redeemer) (Partira)
In the hamlet of Mikri Episkopi, approximately 1 km away from Partira, lie the ruins of the episcopal church of Sotiras Christos, dating back to the era of Venetian rule, when the settlement was the seat of the diocese of Arcadia. It is built in the cruciform domed style and parts of its walls, columns […]
Holy Metropolitan Church of Agios Andreas (St. Andrew) (Arkalochori)
The three-aisled Metropolitan Church in Arkalochori is dedicated to Saint Andrew of Crete, also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, the Archbishop of Crete, to Saint Matthias and to the Three Hierarchs. Its foundations were laid in 1978 by Archbishop Timotheos of Crete and it was inaugurated in 2009. The church contains the sacred remains of […]
Church of Agios Haralampos & Panagia (St. Charalampus & Mother Mary) (Paliama)
North of the village of Moroni, at the ruins of the small village of Paliama, there is a two-aisled church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Charalampus, featuring ancient architectural elements in its masonry.
Panagia (Mother Mary) at Kirmousi
The church of Panagia survives south of the hamlet of Makres, in the completely deserted hamlet of Kirmousi. This is a 15th century single-aisled church, beside which traces of buildings and tombs have been excavating, findings that indicate the existence of a monastery.
Koimisi tis Theotokou (Dormition of Mother Mary) (Panagia)
This is a 15th century three-aisled basilica dedicated to the Dormition of Mother Mary with many interesting construction details. The hamlet of Panagia, one of the best-preserved traditional villages in central Crete, was named after the church.
