Monastery of St. George Gorgolaini

Distance from Earino: 600m

Route on Google Maps

Over the village of Ano Asites, in a green area, is located the monastery of St. George Gorgolaini or Gorgoleimona as it is known today. Refrain from Heraklion 24 km and works from the years of Venetian rule.

It is speculated that the monastery was built in the 16th century, the conquistadors Venetians after they failed to subjugate the Orthodox Christian faith of Cretans, allow Christian Foundation of new monasteries. From those years in the monastery, he had saved a fountain where the mouth of a lion, was running water. The 1991 permit your persecutors’defiled hands, however, stole the wonderful sculpture.

The years of Ottoman domination, the monastery has many dependencies. Came to own smaller abbeys that failed to withstand the oppression and the fines of the Turks. The Abbey Gorgolaini then reaches the edge and helps the rebels Cretans. In 1821 the Turks destroyed the monastery. Christians the building again and the monks offer help and shelter to the rebellious Greeks. In 1848 there we killed the chieftain Fragias Mastrachas. The bust will see the visitor in the precincts of the Abbey.

The 20th century historic monastery declined. In 1957 there were church camps and boarding school. A few years ago, the Church of Crete has encouraged some monk to revive the monastery. Thus, the monastery gained life again. The old buildings have been preserved and is for believers a great pilgrimage of St. George.

Source: rural-heraklion.gr