Evangelistra Monastery
Evangelistra Monastery |
| Below Karaflizanaka, Skiathos' highest peak, and next
to the sources of Lehouni's stream, the monastery of Panayia Evangelistra can be found. You can reach Evangelistra by road taking a right turn off the ring road, 80 metres from the airport/ring road fork. There is a reasonably good tarmac and concrete road leading to the monastery. There is a small, local, bus service to it which runs: |
 |
| From Skiathos: 07:30 10:15 13:00 17:00 18:30 |
From Evangelistra: 07:50 10:45 13:45 17:30 19:00 |
 The monastery was founded in1794 by a Mount Athos' monk called Nifon and was completed in 1806. In all there have been 30 abbots and at it's peak there were 70 monks living and working there. Now there is only one monk and a helper. |
 |
||
 |
It is well worth visiting for it's peace and
tranquillity and also to see the fine stone masonry construction. There are some beautiful
wood carvings around the alter. In the last few years there has been a great deal of renovation work done and you can begin to see how such a monastery operated. A story has it that the Greek flag of Independence was first raised in Evangelistra during the struggle to free Greece of Turkish domination. |
 |
Kounistra Monastery is the "Patron Church" of Skiathos. On the day of it's festival, November 21st, all the villagers will pass through it to light a candle, kiss the ikon found hanging in a nearby tree & be blessed for the year to come. Many stay the night drinking & singing in front of blazing log fires & often the new wine will be broached for the occasion. To get there, take the Asselinos road at Troulos & then the right fork at Zorbathes. |
| The monastery gets it's name from an ikon that was
found swinging (Kounia) in a tree nearby. The ikon was taken to Skiathos Town but
mysteriously (some say miraculously) re-appeared in the tree again. The church and
outbuildings were erected to commemorate this, but it was never a real working monastery
in the same way as Evangelistra. |
|
 |
Much restoration work has recently been done and the buildings
have all been re-roofed. Although this is much smaller than Evangelistra Monastery, it has it's own special feel and is well worth a visit. As with all the monasteries, the view is fabulous. |
