Faneromeni Monastery Lefkada

One of the most important historical and religious places of the whole of Lefkada island is the Faneromeni Monastery, just three kilometers from Lefkada Town. Actually, it is a real pilgrimage destination, as one of the symbols of Greek Christianity. Its history has very ancient origins, and continues today, making it the only monastery on the island that is still a refuge for monks.

It was here that the followers of St. Paul the Apostle arrived, around 63 AD. In the place where the monastery now stands, there used to be a temple in honor of the goddess Artemis. Legend has it that one of the three disciples sent by Paul, Herodion, prayed right here, and the image of the Greek goddess fell to pieces. The fact is that Paul had them build the first stones of this new sacred place, and placed another of his disciples, Sosiona, as bishop. Its origins already make us understand the symbolic value that the Monastery of Faneromeni assumes for the people of the Christian faith. But the stories around it don't end there.

The name Faneromeni, or 'apparition', is linked to another miraculous event that occurred, according to tradition, for the depiction of the icon of the Virgin. This was commissioned to Kallistos, a monk and iconographer of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, in the 5th century AD. Even before he was preparing to create the icon, the image of the Madonna appeared to the monk, after a period of fasting and prayer. And it is therefore said to have been created by the divine hand. The icon that can be seen today is no longer the original and miraculous one, but a copy, which was made in 1887 at Mount Athos.

Since its first foundation, the monastery has spanned the centuries and faced hardships, including raids by pirates and foreign invaders, resulting in devastation.

The structure that we can admire today is largely the work of the period of Venetian domination. It was in 1734 that the sanctuary was built and the monastery assumed its modern connotation. However, it comes down to us thanks to a reconstruction carried out starting from 1886. After some violent fires destroyed a large part of it.

Following a subsequent long period of abandonment, Faneromeni was finally fully recovered and made available to the monks and the community. Today it is possible to visit it in some of its rooms. In particular, by admiring the historical and religious artifacts preserved in the ecclesiastical museum. Ancient books, sacred furnishings, vestments and jewels find space along the three floors where it is set up.

Inside the Monastery are also preserved some relics of saints, as well as a fragment of the Holy Cross. Additional elements that complement the symbolic role that Faneromeni has assumed, and that attract pilgrims from all over the world. In addition to the monks' cells, there is in fact also a guest house to welcome them. Just like on Monday of the Holy Spirit, the synaxis is celebrated here, a collective prayer dedicated to the Virgin and open to pilgrims from all over the world.