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Armeni - Arkadi

Arkadi

INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY OF THE MONASTERY OF ARKADI

The Monastery of Arkadi is located on the northwest foothills of Psiloreitis, approximately on a 500 m altitude and at a 23 km distance from Rethymno.

It lies in a low plateau of the hinterland, almost at the border of the former counties of Amari, Milopotamos and Rethymno. It is a big fort-like monastic complex that used to have, apart from the monks' cells, storage rooms, stables and rooms for the processing of agricultural products.

According to tradition, the Monastery of Arkadi was founded by Irakleios, Emperor of Vizantio, and reconstructed by Emperor Arkadios in the 5^th century AD. The monastery was named after this emperor. However, scholars suggest that both the foundation and the naming of this monastery were made by a monk called Arkadios. According to inscriptions, the two-aisled church in the middle of the monastery was built in 1587 and dedicated to Agios Konstantinos and Metamorfosi Sotiros.

According to an inscription that is saved on the lower part of the steeple, the church was built in 1587, which means that it is a work completed during the Venetian occupation of Crete. This fact justifies the plethora of Renaissance architectural elements that visitors can notice at first glance. The steeple is located in the middle of the facade upper part and two decorative gothic-inspired obelisks are on the sides. This façade is impressive due to the harmonic combination of architectural elements, such as gothic arches and obelisks, Renaissance anthemia, Corinthian moldings of the late Renaissance type and baroque spires that prove the architect's relevance with Renaissance architects and, more specifically, with the work of Sebastiano Serlio and Andrea Palladio.

During the 16th century, which was a period of great mobility in Crete's religious affairs, an effort for the reorganization of the Monastery of Arkadi began, with the important contribution of Klimis Hortatzis. The works for the reconstruction of the monastery began in this period. The new big monastery began to be built in the same place where the old monastery of Kallergides used to be. The old church was small and did not provide enough room, which is why a bigger church was built. The most recent research of the archaeological authority revealed the foundations of an old single-naved church, which was 3.72 m wide and 13.8 m long. The old church was not pulled down before the works began but after they had finished, in order for a worship place to exist at the monastery that would be able to function as normal. As it was common in that period, tombs for the monks of the fraternity were dug in the floor of the new church. Architects applied a fort-like form on this building, which was combined with western elements, mainly as concerns the decoration of the church façade. The inscription at the lower part of the steeple mentions the year when the church was finished (1587). The works for the completion of this monastic complex continued after 1578 but the exact time they finished is not known.

Spiritual activity at Arkadi, which was a manuscript copying center, continued until 1645, the year when the Turkish invasion for the occupation of Rethymno took place. During the Ottoman period, Arkadi, which was called "Tsanli Manastir" (meaning monastery with bells) by the Turks, became a patriarchal monastery and retained its power. Moreover, the number of monks increased significantly at the end of the 19^th century, so that, in 1881, this monastery was the largest one in Crete, concerning the number of monks. This monastery also played an important role in the liberation fights of the island. In 1866, the well-known holocaust took place, after the monastery had been besieged by Turks and blown up by its defenders. Nowadays, extensive works are being carried out for the maintenance and restoration of the katholikon.

Source: Prefecture of Rethymno

WANDERING AROUND THE MONASTERY

Monastery entrance

The monastery has two entrances. The main entrance is locates on the western side and is called "Chania Gate" or "Rethymno Gate". It was built in 1870 at the same place and having the same design as the first gate that had been built in 1693 and destroyed in 1866. The other entrance, having also had the same ending, is called "Kastrini Gate" and is located on the eastern side of the precinct, next to the powder magazine entrance. Finally, there is also the "portali", a small door (wicket) at the southeast corner of the precinct, which is usually used as an emergency door. The monastery guesthouse, which is called "arhontariki" in monasteries, has 13 rooms and two big parlours. It has two floors and is located on the building's northern side.

The Commons

The Commons, where the tragedy took place, have 18.10 x 4.80 m dimensions. In the past, when the monastery was a coenobium, monks and visitors-believers ate in these Commons. In the Commons, visitors can see bullet and sword traces on the counters and tables. These are the palpable remains of the "battle of giants". On the east side of the Commons are the Cellars, Kitchen, Kiln and Storage Room.

The Powder Magazine

On the north side of the monastery there used to be a powder magazine before 1866. But, because monks were afraid that Turks might dig a hole on the wall, they transferred munitions to the storage room, which had a lower floor than the yard and was located on the northeast side of the precinct. At this place, one of the biggest tragedies in Cretan history took place on 8 November 1866 and shocked not only the people of Crete but the whole world.

Kostis Giampoudakis' brave hand, from Adele, did not hesitate put the powder magazine on fire, where all besieged people had gathered, and blow up the monastery, making it a timeless symbol of bravery and freedom.  The holy banner of the revolution and other heirlooms of the monastery, such as church items, gold-woven canonicals and weapons are kept in the monastery's museum.

The Memorial

West of the monastery and approximately at a 60 m distance, there is a hexagonal building (ossuary), where the 1866 defenders' bones are kept. At the front of the memorial, skulls with sword-cuts from the battle are kept. In the past, this building used to be a windmill. A little later it was used as a storage room and, after 1866 as an ossuary. Its present form was given in 1910 with the work of Dionisios, then, bishop of Rethymno and Avlopotamos.

The Cypress

Among the trees that are still saved in the monastery precinct, there is an age-long cypress, on the trunk of which one can notice a Turkish fire-arm gunshot. In its dense branches, a Cretan fighter was saved.

The Church

Almost in the middle of the fort precinct of the monastery of Arkadi, there is a two-aisled basilica. On the façade and the lower part of the steeple, the following inscription is located:

ΑΦ.ΚΛΜΧΤΖ.ΠΖ

This inscription proves that the church was built when Klimis Hortatzis was the abbot of this monastery, in 1857. In 1866, the whole church gave up to flames. Only a cross, two wood-sculpted angels and the wood-sculpted Resurrection of Christ were saved. The temple that exists today was built in 1902 from cypress wood. Important reconstructions were made at the church in 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927.

The Museum

On the north side of the monastery, there is a museum, where the holy banner of the Arcadic tragedy is kept, together with icons mainly of the post-Byzantine era, weapons of the revolution, various worship items, canonicals, manuscripts, seals etc.

Source:

Workshop for the teaching of Sciences

Prefectural Committee for Touristic Promotion

Municipality of Arkadi

PHOTOGRAPHS