Convent of St. Nicholas (Agios Nikolaos Nunnery) description and photos - Greece: Santorini Island (Thira) (Topic)

St. Nicholas Convent (Agios Nikolaos Nunnery) description and photos - Greece: Santorini Island (Thira). Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Agios Nikolaos Nunnery.

Photo and description

Among the huge number of churches and monasteries on the Greek island of Santorini, the Orthodox convent of St. Nicholas is undoubtedly of particular interest. Today the monastery of St. Nicholas is located between the settlements of Imerovili and Firostefani and is the second "house" of the holy monastery since its foundation.

The history of the monastery began in the 17th century, when the administrative center of the island of Santorini was a well-fortified settlement known like Castro, located on the inaccessible rocky promontory of Skaros (near modern Imerovili, Skaros rock). Mostly Catholics lived in the capital, while the Gizi family was one of the few Orthodox families who lived in the Skaros castle, and had their own chapel of St. Nicholas here. which in 1651, with the permission of the current archbishop of Santorini, was transformed into a monastery.

By 1800, the capital of Santorini was moved from Castro, which had been severely damaged by a series of powerful earthquakes, to Pyrgos, and by the beginning of the 19th century, the settlement was finally emptied, there was a question about transferring the monastery to a safer place. The permission to build a new monastery was issued by Patriarch Kirill VI of Constantinople in December 1815. The monastery was built on the site of the old church of Zoodochos Pigi, where, in fact, it is located today. Due to financial difficulties, the construction lasted for 5 years, during which the nuns stayed in the monastery of the fortress of Pyrgos.

Today this monastery, consecrated in honor of St. Nicholas, St. Panteleimon and the icon of the Mother of God "Life-giving source" ("Zoodochos Pigi") is an important historical and architectural monument. The main relic of the monastery is the ancient Byzantine icon of St. Nicholas. However, the excellent wooden iconostasis of the monastery catholicon deserves special attention.

We also recommend reading St. John the Baptist Monastery description and photos - Russia - North-West: Veliky Ustyug

Topic: Convent of St. Nicholas (Agios Nikolaos Nunnery) description and photos - Greece: Santorini Island (Thira).