Monastery of St. John the Evangelist Patmos
The Saint JohnTheologos Monastery, overlooking the beautiful Patmos from above, is a must if you are on holiday in Greece on the island.
John was the youngest and longest lived of the Apostles and descended from an aristocratic family (it is said that his mother was a cousin of the Madonna, while his father had a small fishing business). His fame is due to the book of the Apocalypse written in 'a.d 95 when he was exiled on the Patmos island through the voice of God that was manifested through the split in the rock of the Quarry where he lived. It is the book of the Bible that reveals the future events of humanity through prophecies.
The Monastery for all Christianity is considered one of the most important pilgrimages and is the most important of all the Aegean Sea. Together with the Cave and the Hora, the fortified citadel that surrounds it is recognized by UNESCO as one of the symbolic monuments of Christianity.
Founded by San Cristodoulos in the period of Arab domination, in 1088 he asked the emperor Alessio to build an impressive building in honor of San Giovanni Evangelista, and despite the fact that the Saint remained on the island until 1118 when he was forced to leave it for continuous invasions of pirates, his intent continued over the years by other monks who continued the work to create this wonderful monastery.
The position on the top of the promontory is not accidental, it is strategic for the preventive sightings of the usurpers and cleverly, around the sacred place a today's citadel was built with labyrinthine alleys to confuse and discourage, and high crenellated walls, with cracks to pour hot oil on the attackers.
Archaeological researches testify that it was built on the old temple of the goddess Artemis (also called Diana) and of an ancient Christian church. It is surrounded by a defense wall that dates back to the end of the 11th century until the 18th century.
To this day the Catolic is preserved, the main church of the Byzantine period, the table and the monks' cells. The Chapel of the Virgin located on the southern side of the Catolico has magnificent frescoes dating back to the late 100. In the south west part of the main church is instead the sacellum of Saint Cristodoulos with the sarcophagus of its relics dating back to the early eighteenth century. The refectory in the north eastern part houses the famous frescoes and original marble tables. The cells instead are located in the northern part. In the convent you will also find other chapels of the post Byzantine period dedicated to Saint Vassilios, Saint Nicholas, of the Holy Cross, of Saint John the Baptist and of the Apostles. Outside the convent enclosure the chapels dedicated to Saint Giorgio and Saint Onofrio.
The monastery is open to the public every day from 8.00am to 1.00pm and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 4.00pm to 6.00pm. Proper clothing is required as a sacred place.
A ride here too is a must do, first of all for the artistic and cultural importance of the site and then also because the view that is enjoyed is fantastic.