Agia Triada of Tsagarolon

Published: September 10, 2019
Municipal Unit of Akrotiri, Sights

Quite “distressed” due to the constant looting and arson. The Monastery of Agia Triada (Tsagarolon) is located about 20 kilometers northeast of the city of Chania, on the Akrotiri peninsula. It is an impressive monastery and in fact, it is the largest of all the monasteries in Crete. Its architecture has elements of Venetian rule and Cretan Renaissance style in a strict style.

A large courtyard is located in the center and two beautiful churches are included inside the monastery. According to some old documents, the Monastery of the Holy Trinity of Tsagarolos was founded in the early 17th century by brothers Jeremiah and Lawrence Tsagarolos, from whom it took its name. These brothers were two monks who came from a Venetian Orthodox family. The monastery flourished in the 18th century and its monks took part in the Greek Revolution and the Cretan struggle for independence at the end of the 19th century, as did all the monasteries in Crete.

Particularly famous for his action was the abbot Grigorios Papadopetrakis, who played an important role in the Cretan revolutions of 1866 and 1878. Due to the revolutionary action of his monks, the monastery was burned and looted by the Turks in 1821, who took most of the relics. In 1855, the monastery was renovated and in 1892, it was transformed into a Theological School. The library that is preserved to this day has many rare books and manuscripts. In the courtyard of the monastery, you will find the churches of Agios Apostolos and Agia Stavrosis.