Description of the attraction
The Monastery of the Holy Trinity (Agia Triada), also known as the Monastery of Zangoroli, is one of the most impressive monasteries in Crete. This Greek Orthodox monastery is located on the Akrotiri peninsula in the north of Chania region (15 km from the city of Chania).
The history of the Holy Trinity Monastery begins in the 17th century. Earlier on the site of the monastery there was a small ancient church, which fell into disrepair after the death of the last monk. The main temple of the monastery is a cross-domed structure in which the Byzantine style is perfectly combined with the columns of the Ionic and Corinthian styles.
The founders of the monastery are considered to be two brothers, Jeremiah and Lavrenty, from the revered Venetian family of Zangoroli. The brothers were well educated, spoke Latin and understood architecture, including European. The design and construction of the new church was taken over by Jeremiah in 1611, but he did not live to see the end of the construction and after his death, around 1634, Lawrence took over the work. In 1645, after the conquest of Chania by the Turks, the construction of the monastery was suspended. During this period, it is known as the "monastery with cypress trees". During the Greek Revolution of 1821, the monks left the monastery, but, unfortunately, they did not have the opportunity to hide precious historical relics and manuscripts, which were subsequently plundered and burned. After the revolution, the monastery was restored and construction work was completed. In 1892, a seminary was opened at the monastery. The monastery has a library where rare books are kept, there is a museum with an interesting collection of icons and manuscripts.
The Holy Trinity Monastery continues to play an important role in the church life of Crete today. It is one of the main historical monuments of the island.
