Saints' Fanentes Monastery
Saints' Fanentes Monastery
At a 250 meters high hill that during the ancient years it was named Kiatis the remnants of the ancient monastery of Saints Fanentes are found. There is no specific information concerning the year the monastery was founded but it is known that during the 17th century it was renovated using constructing material from the remnants of ancient Acropolis of Sami.
The three saints Theodoros, Grigorios and Leon were Christian sailors of the Roman naval fleet that in 188 B.C. had conquered the island. When emperor Constadios imposed to all the citizens to accept Aryanism, those three soldiers refused to return to their country and accept an heresy that was against their faith. So they stayed in Sami that was a nodal point for the ships of the Roman fleet.
According to tradition their remnants were discovered in a cave in the area in a miraculous way. The remnants were transferred to Venice during the Enetian Occupation and were found in 2009 and brought back to Greece after many years of efforts.
The earthquakes of 1953 completely destroyed the old building and the monastery was completely abandoned since then. Today next to the remnants of the monastery there is a small chapel in which there is an icon of Saints Fanentes. This icon is a copy of the original which is found in a temple in Sami.
The hill on which the remnants are found is the end of a walking trail that begins from Sami goes through the ancient Acropolis and ends up at the Agrilia Monastery. Through the green itineraries with the incomparable view, you can admire the beauty of nature and the ancient heritage of the area enjoying the peace and tranquility that the landscape has to offer.
A feast is carried out at the monastery on All Saints’ Day, day on which the memory of the three Saints is celebrated.
Ελληνικά