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Sights - Chania Prefecture - Akrotiri |
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Agios Antonios |
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From
the parking ground outside Gouvernetou Monastery and to the left of the
path towards Katholiko Monastery, there is another and considerably
smaller path leading to the closed down Agios Antonios monastery, which
was abandoned at the end of the 19th century.
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| Even
before you reaches the ruins of the monastery, you sense how
well-organised
it must have functioned, as the numerous terraces in the terrain still
exist, where vine, grain, leguminous plants, carobs and of course olives
have been cultivated.
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| Standing
in front of the monastery, you see to the left the abbot's home separated
from the rest of the monastery. In the middle is the church, built into a
cave, and to the right are the monks' cells.
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| The
monastery is presumably built at the end of the 16th century to house some
of the numerous monks from the nearby Katholiko Monastery. At that time
many Cretans sought refuge in monasteries to avoid the Venetian's forced
labour. Another reason might be that Katholiko Monastery had been exposed
to attacks from pirates, and that the monks therefore considered it more
secure to move further into the country.
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| At
the beginning the monastery belonged to Katholiko, but was later placed
under Gouvernetou.
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| The
last resident of
the monastery was a woman by the name of Maria, whose son, Nikodimos was a
monk at Gouvernetou. She had obtained a special permission to stay in the
monastery in order to expiate her sin of having a child born outside
marriage.
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| On July the 16th 1889 the Turks attacked the monastery and stole everything of value. This became subsequently the end of the life of the monastery. In the years 1905-15 Gouvernetou Monastery tried to re-establish the Agios Antonios monastery but did not succeed. |
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| Agios Antonios |
View from the church |
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| came from Egypt, where he lived at the end of the 3rd century. When he at the age of 18 lost his parents, he took care of his sister until she was married. Then he set out into the dessert and lived as an ascetic. His exemplary life set a good example for other ascetics. He is one of the founders of monastery life and his memory is celebrated on January 17th. | ||||
