Monastery of Panachrantos on Andros

There are many monasteries on Andros and even more churches and small chapels. The most famous monasteries are Agia Irini, Agia Marina, Agios Nikolaos, Zoodochos Pigi (which is the largest monastery) and the Monastery of Panachrantos which this page is about. What makes this particular monastery extra interesting is partly its location, partly that it is built like a fortress, partly because there is a holy icon here and because in the monastery there is a relic in the form of a skull from the saint Agios Panteleimon.

The interesting Monastery of Panachrantos.

The Monastery of Panachrantos is located, as I said, very beautifully and the view over the valleys and down towards Chora on the coast is formidable. The monastery is located 10 kilometers southwest of Chora, 23 kilometers southeast of Batsi, 7 kilometers south of Menites and 5 kilometers south of Aladino. The latter two villages are known for their stone bridges, fountains and caves and are well worth a visit.

Monastery of Panachrantos. The village of Aladino on the left and Andros Chora on the right

The village of Aladino on the right, the Monastery of Panachrantos just above.

The monastery is located high up on Gerakones Mountain and began to be built in the mid-950s. The reason the monastery was built here has to do with a holy icon. Exactly the same story as many other monasteries and churches in Greece. I could copy the story from, for example, Panagia Hozoviotissa on Amorgos, Agios Ioannis sto Kastri on Skopelos and Panagia Kavouradena on Leros. Just to name a few examples.

The monastery houses a relic of the skull of Saint Agios Panteleimon.

The story goes like this: Two hermits saw a mysterious light in a cave where the monastery is located today, and they went to the light to explore it. After much searching, they found an icon depicting the Virgin Mary and they took it with them. The next day the icon had disappeared and then the same light reappeared in the same place as the day before, and the icon was back in the cave. The same phenomenon occurred several times. The hermits finally settled permanently near the cave where the icon was, and there they built a small hermitage, which after many years of construction resulted in today's monastery. The icon was said to have been created by the Evangelist Luke. How could they know that?

The monastery is beautiful both externally and internally.

The monastery was strategically protected from pirates and other invaders. The pirate threat at that time, and for many years afterwards, was great in the Aegean Sea, and that is why the monastery was built here. Massive stone walls surround the complex and it resembles more of a fortress than a monastery. It is divided into several levels, with courtyards, tunnels and tower-like buildings that made it difficult to capture. Although the monastery was visible from the sea, it was difficult to get there because there were no roads, and if pirates came, they would be seen from the monastery, and there was plenty of time to hide the icon.

Massive stone walls surround the complex and it resembles more of a fortress than a monastery.

The monastery also houses a relic of the skull of Saint Agios Panteleimon. The same skull is said to be found in other churches and monasteries in Greece, so if this is true, it may only be a small part of the skull that is kept here. Agios Panteleimon was a saint who lived in the 4th century and he was known for his medical knowledge and healing abilities. He was revered as a patron saint of doctors, children and pregnant women. The monastery celebrates Saint Agios Panteleimon on July 27 and the Virgin Mary on August 15. There are several churches and monasteries in Greece that are named after Agios Panteleimon. My favorite of these is Agios Panteleimon Monastery on Tilos.

Monastery of Panachrantos.

The entrance to the Monastery of Panachrantos.

I have only seen a crucifix like this in the Monastery of Panachrantos.

Read more about Andros here »