Yesterday, November 26, 2018, Angelina and I took our rental car up the mountain to see the monastery that our host (Stathis) said is an important part of the island´s history. What a perfectly sunny day and we had two more hours to enjoy having wheels. We saw a man tending his sheep and a few other people at the monastery, but it was so quiet and what a view from up there.
Here is a bit of history about this particular place: The Monastery of the Annunciation commonly known as the Evangelistria Monastery is a monastery dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary which sits on a hillside some 4 km north of Skiathos town. Although some buildings are ruined, the church and accommodation buildings have been restored. The monastery was founded in 1794 by a group of Kollyvades monks. In 1807, a group of Greek freedom fighters met at the monastery and swore the Oath of Freedom on a newly designed Greek flag, a white cross on a sky-blue background, which was woven on a loom at the site. The Catholicon of the monastery is a Byzantine-style cross-in-square three-aisled church, with three domes, and stands at the center of the complex. The iconostasis is wood carved and bears icons dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
We were not allowed to take any photos of the inside of the sanctuary, but it was very ornate and the stone work of the ceiling domes was beautiful and grey, maybe a granite. We met a kind woman who cares after the building as a volunteer each day and sweeps up the plaster that falls from the roof each day inside the chapel. We purchased a hand pounded tin ornament of a house and offered it to the Saint inside and a prayer to watch over our home and to bless all the people who have lost theirs recently. We again thank Glenn who is taking care of our home in our absence and ask for your prayers for all those in California who are struggling due to the fires.-Mona
It was really cool to go the the famous Monastery of Skiathos. It had really pretty architecture inside and out. I loved the view from the top and seeing cute sheep. 🐑 -Angelina
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