Daphni Monastery
The Daphni Monastery lies in Chaidari along the route of the ancient Hiera Odos to Eleusis. It stands on a site where in the antiquity was the sanctuary of Apollo Daphnaios; the latter was destroyed in 395 when the Goths invaded Attica. The only still visible remain in situ is an Ionic column in the […]
Nea Mone
Founders of the monastery of Nea Mone, dedicated to Virgin, are the emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and the empress Zoe. Its construction started in 1042 and finished in 1055, that is after the death of the Emperor. Due to lavish donations through imperial decrees, the monastery became one of the biggest landowners on the island […]
Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
Patmos was a place of exile in Roman times, where also the Apostle John the Theologian was exiled. On this island he wrote down his Apocalypse/Last Judgement. The Byzantine Emperor Alexios I gave Patmos to the monk Christodoulos who had previously been a monk in Asia Minor. In 1088, he founded the monastery on the […]