The Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Panagia Chrisopigi, one of the most famous nunneries in Greece today, is located in Chania, Crete, at a distance of just three kilometers from the city, on the way to the port of Souda.

It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary the Zoodochos Pigi and celebrates on Friday after Easter. Thousands of pilgrims flock this day with reverence to the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary. The Katholikon of the monastery belongs to the three-niche temple with a dome of Mount Athos.

The monastery was founded in the 16th century, during the last period of Venetian domination, and has been male until recent years. Over the centuries the monastery experienced periods of bloom and decline.

Its founder was Ioannis Chartofylakas from Chania, a doctor of medicine and philosophy, an important person of his time with great activity in the society of Chania.

During the Venetian occupation, Chrysopigi was a spiritual center for Crete with many monks and a rich library. During the Ottoman domination, the monastery's spiritual tradition continued and the monastery was converted into a patriarchal stavropegic. During the revolutions, the fathers of the monastery participated in the historical struggles of Crete. The monastery suffered much trials and tribulation by the Turks and was destroyed in the year 1821 during the Revolution.

It also suffered severe destructions by the German conquerors of Crete.

In 1976, the first three nuns of today's fraternity (with Abbess the dearly departed Elder Theosemni) settled in the dilapidated, from the time of the German occupation, monastery.

All the buildings were restored with the existing old materials, with the careful collection of the stone of the dilapidated buildings and the use of materials from the environment. Along with the restoration of the Holy Monastery of Chrysopigi, all the historical heirlooms were preserved and safeguarded with the operation of the Ecclesiastical and Folkloric Museum, which is also interesting.

Ecological activities

The occupations of the monastery's sisters include hagiography, ecclesiastical embroidery, preservation of old books and icons, bookbinding, book publishing, apiculture, candle making, production of incense and soap, etc.

The main occupation of the monastery is the cultivation of the estates, which is done with the method of organic farming. More than 25 acres of land with olive, mandarin, orange, avocado and fig trees, and vegetable gardens are organically grown in the monastery. From the products produced is mainly sold olive oil in order to promote organic farming. In addition, environmental education programs are implemented for students of all levels.

Saint Kyriaki

The sorority of the Monastery of Chrysopigi, in 1993-1996, restored the old glebe land of Saint Kyriaki, in Varypetro of Kydonia, 12 km from Chania.

The glebe land, a 17th century monument, is situated in a wonderful area, which includes a beautiful forest, a small gorge, which is crossed by a river in the winter, and many cave chapels, to which lead cobbled paths.

In the area of ​​Saint Kyriaki, on a rocky hill under the ruins of Byzantine castle “Kastellos”, have been erected the new monastic buildings of Chrysopigi. The aim is the creation of an assemblage, where the structured and unstructured space is in balance so as to highlight the natural environment and its harmonious relationship with the buildings.

This place was blessed with the presence, in 2002, of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who walked along the paths of the region and laid the foundation stone of the new Catholic of the monastery, which is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Jesus.

Chapels

In the Monastery of Chrysopigi, apart from the Katholikon, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Zoodochos Pigi, there are five more chapels dedicated to Saint John the Theologian and Saint Catherine (located in the main temple), Saint Charalambos, Saint John Kalivitis and to Saint Arsenios from Cappadocia.

In the area of ​​Saint Kyriaki there are chapels in caves, which are celebrated in Saint Antonios, in the Holy Seven Children, in Panagia Myrtidiotissa – in Saint Silouanos from Mount Athos and in the Holy New-Martyrs of Crete.

The Chrysopigi Monastery celebrates in Zoodohos Pigi. The monastery also celebrates on

July 7th, Saint Kyriaki celebration

August 6, feast of Christ's Transfiguration

The chapels of the monastery celebrate:

January 15, Saint John Kalyvitis (whose left hand is kept in the Monastery)

February 10, Saint Charalampous

August 31, the Virgin Mary's Honest Belt

September 26 and May 8, Saint John the Theologian

November 10, Saint Arsenios of Cappadocia

November 25, Saint Catherine

Also, the Monastery of Chrysopigi of Chania has published the book “Vios and Logoi”, which in the decade 2003-2013 was translated into more than twenty languages. In the book are included uncut, the teaching and the words of Saint Porphyrios the Caucasokalyvitis.

Abbess is the nun Theokseni and in the monastery there are about 40 nuns.

The monastery is open to pilgrims daily (8.00am - 12.00pm and 3.30pm - 6.00pm). Pilgrims who wish to, participate in the monastic liturgical program of daily ceremonies. Divine Liturgy is held every Saturday and Sunday and on the great feasts.

25is Martiou, Chania, 73100
Telephone