Preveli Monastery
The Monastery of Preveli, located on the southern coast of Rethymno and next to the Kourtaliotis river, consists of two complexes: the coastal complex of St John the Theologian (Piso Moni) and the complex of St John the Baptist (Kato Moni), located further north. The monastery underwent significant development in the 18th and 19th centuries, a period from which most of the buildings date.
During the World War II, Allied powers evacuated to the Middle East through the monastery.
Saint John the Theologian (Piso Moni) complex
The Monastery of St John the Theologian (Piso Moni) is built on a rocky slope. The buildings of the monastery form a Π-shape surrounding a large courtyard. The double church, built in the 1830s, replaced the older single-nave catholicon. The fountain with carved ornaments was built in 1701, according to its inscription. Icons, vestments, sacred vessels and books are exhibited in the monastery museum.
Bibliography
Ανδριανάκης, M. (1998). Iερά Μονή Πρέβελη, Ρέθυμνο.
Ανδριανάκης, Μ. (2014). Τα χριστιανικά μνημεία της πρώην επαρχίας Αγίου Βασιλείου. στο Πρακτικά του Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου: Η Επαρχία Αγίου Βασιλείου από την αρχαιότητα μέχρι σήμερα, τ. Β', Ρέθυμνο, 40-46.
Ανδριανάκης, M., Γιαπιτσόγλου, K. (2012). Χριστιανικά μνημεία της Κρήτης, Ηράκλειο 324-325.
Ψιλάκης, Ν. (1993). Μοναστήρια και ερημητήρια της Κρήτης, Ηράκλειο, τ. Β', 385-418.
Preveli, Lower (Kato) Monastery of St John the Baptist
The complex of Agios Ioannis Prodromos (Kato Moni) is located near the stone bridge over the Kourtaliotis river. The buildings of the monastery date from the 18th and 19th centuries and are irregularly arranged around the central courtyard. In the centre of the courtyard is the church (catholicon), dedicated to St John the Baptist. It is a single nave church built in the second half of the 19th century.
Bibliography
Ανδριανάκης, M. (1998). Iερά Μονή Πρέβελη, Ρέθυμνο.
Ανδριανάκης, Μ. (2014). Τα χριστιανικά μνημεία της πρώην επαρχίας Αγίου Βασιλείου. στο Πρακτικά του Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου: Η Επαρχία Αγίου Βασιλείου από την αρχαιότητα μέχρι σήμερα, τ. Β', Ρέθυμνο, 40-46.
Ανδριανάκης, M., Γιαπιτσόγλου, K. (2012). Χριστιανικά μνημεία της Κρήτης, Ηράκλειο 324-325.
Ψιλάκης, Ν. (1993). Μοναστήρια και ερημητήρια της Κρήτης, Ηράκλειο, τ. Β', 383-418.
Photo Gallery
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- Complex of Saint John the Theologian (Piso Moni). Sailboat. Graffito
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- Complex of Saint John the Theologian (Piso Moni). The fountain of the monastery.
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- The complex of Saint John the Baptist (Kato Moni). The catholicon.
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- The complex of Saint John the Baptist (Kato Moni). The catholicon. View from the interior.
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- The Monastery’s museum.