Panagia Gouverniotissa Monastery (not functioning)

 churchyard  Add category

 Upload a photo

The monastery of Panagia Gouverniotissa does not operate as a monastery today, but the church is used regularly for liturgies.
According to tradition, the monastery was founded by a Byzantine ruler after 961, when Nicephorus Phocas liberated Crete from the Arabs. However, it is believed to have been founded between the years 1350–1400. The monastery once belonged to the family Magafouris, the descendants of which owned Gouverniotissa for many generations. The last descendant donated the monastery to the Holy Sepulchre, and much later the monastery was abandoned.
Today, except the church, you will see the ruins of the monks’ cells of the 19th century and some old baking rooms. Moreover, in the area outside the monastery, great concerts take place every summer with some of the best known Greek singers.

Timeline
961: After the liberation of Crete by Nicephorus Phocas, a Byzantine emperor possibly founds the monastery of Panagia Gouverniotissa.
1350–1400: Gouverniotissa area is a fief of the Venetian lord Laurentius Manipero.
1647–1669: During the siege of Candia, the monk Nikolas Magafouris ensures the favor of the Turks. The monastery detaches many private estates and for several generations it is owned by the family of Magafouris.
1826: Michael Magafourakis has no descendants, thus he donates Gouverniotissa to the Holy Sepulchre.
1928: The monastery stops its operation and its estates are distributed to local residents.
2010: A restoration program of the Byzantine frescoes starts.

www.crete.tournet.gr/Panagia_Gouverniotissa_Monastery-s...