Listed 2 sub titles with search on: Places of worship for destination: "MONI AGIAS TRIADAS OF TZAGAROLON Monastery CHANIA".
Tel: +30 28210 63310
Fax: +30 28210 63328
The monastery of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) of Tzagarolon
is one of the most important monastic complexes of the late Venetian period in Crete. According to the historical sources - among them the Venetian archives -
the monastery was built by the brothers Jeremiah and Lavrentio Jagarolon, descendants of a great Venetian-Cretan family. The construction began in 1611 and
was completed after the fall of Chania to the Ottoman Turks in 1645. During the Ottoman period the monastery was known as the "Selvili Manastir"
(the "Monastery with the cypress trees"). The outbreak of the Greek War of Independence in 1821 forces the monks to abandon the monastery which was then
looted and burnt down by the Turks. The period of desolation ended in 1834 when the reconstruction of the monastery began followed by a new thriving phase.
Architecturally the complex combines the typical Athos Monastic style - namely the Byzantine tradition - with morphological, mainly decorative, elements
of the western ecclesiastical architecture.
The main church (katholikon) of Holy Trinity is a significant example of the
Cretan Renaissance. It belongs to the circular domed temple type with three niches, narthex and
chapels on the ground and the upper level. Apart from the residences for the
monks, the complex also included workshops, stables, oil and wine mill, cellars. Impressive is the
main entrance of the monastery, also a remnant of the Venetian impact.
Today a small but valuable collection of icons and ecclesiastical heirlooms that have survived the catastrophes of the past is hosted in the monastery,
confirming its erstwhile great wealth. Among the most important exhibits are a 12th century manuscript and an ensemble of 16th - 17th century icons, including the
"Enthroned Christ", the "Source of Life" and the "Second Coming" (1635-1645), works attributed to the artist from Chania Father Emmanuel Skordilis, an important
representative of the Cretan School of icon painting.
The monastery of Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) was built in the seventeenth century by two brothers of the Venetian Zangaroli family--monks who had converted to the Orthodox faith. It was built on top of a pre-existing church. The church itself is of Byzantine cruciform architecture with three domes. The larger one is at the intersection of the aisles, while the smaller domes are at the back. The two chapels of the church also have domes, as does the chapel of Sotiras which is independent of the church. The church has a narthex at the front which is at right angles to the main aisle and much wider than it. The main church is dedicated to the Agia Triada and the two side chapels to Agios Ioannis Prodromos. The church is a very good example of the heavy, decorative Western-style influence in the exterior decoration of Byzantine churches. The facade of the church has double columns of Ionic and Corinthian style and an inscription. A large bell tower was added later, in 1864. There are two inscriptions at the entrance to the church: one in Latin and one in Greek, representing the background of the founders. The monastery was an important theological school in the nineteenth century.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
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