Chryssoskalitissa
Monastery
Chryssoskalitissa Monastery is an Orthodox Christian monastery
located on the island of Crete, Greece. It is situated on the
south-west coast of the island, it lies about 72 kilometres
south-west of Chania. Built up on rocks more than 35 metres high,
it overlooks the Libyan Sea.
Chryssoskalitissa - The
Legend
The long name “Chryssoskalitissa” is in Greek the
short word for “Virgin of the Golden Step”. According
to the legend, when the Ottomans conquered Crete, the nuns hid the
golden artefacts of the monastery underneath a step in the long
staircase, in order to protect them from spoliation. The
“golden step”, as it was called, gave its name to the
monastery. The legend also says that the non-Christians and the
sinners could not distinguish the golden step among the 90 steps of
the monastery, which was only visible to the faithful.
The catholic of Chryssoskalitissa monastery is dedicated to the
Holy Trinity, or “Agia Triada” in Greek, and to the
death of Virgin May, or “Kimisis tis Theotokou” in
Greek. It is said that the painting of “Kimisis tis
Theotokou” was made 1.000 years ago. You can see this
painting among others in the small church of the monastery, which
seems to have been untouched by time.
The Monastery - Past and
Future
Like every known monastery in Crete, Chryssoskalitissa has
experienced all the troubled history of Crete, including numerous
wars and conquers. But the centuries-old, beautiful building of the
monastery is still standing proudly above the sea, easily visible
from the road to every visitor.
The area of Chryssoskalitissa is inhabited from the Minoan years.
At that time, here lied a settlement of fishermen. Today there are
some houses in the area between the monastery and Elafonissi beach.
Here you can also find tourism accommodation and a tavern.
Near the base of the big staircase that leads to Chryssoskalitissa
monastery, you can find a store selling small handmade
ecclesiastical artefacts, like small crosses and icons, which make
a good memento or present.
Chryssoskalitissa monastery is one of the landmarks of Southwest
Crete. It is a simple, but impressive building, which has kept
alive the atmosphere of past centuries. If you plan to visit the
excellent beach in the nearby Elafonissi, something we highly
recommend, don’t forget to visit and spend some time to the
monastery of Chryssoskalitissa. Chances are the visit will well
worth your time.
OMILOS was so kind that he promised to do the maintenance of
this cache. Thanks a lot!