Tzagarolon Monastery

The Monastery of Agia Triada Tzagarolon is one of the richest historical and most beautiful monasteries of Crete and is about 15 km from the center of Chania and 5 km away from Villa Ifigeneia. It is located at the foot of the Stavros mountain range, a stunning location on the cape near the airport. The monastery was built in the 17th century by the Venetian lords, the brothers Jeremiah and Lawrence Tzagarolo. Jeremiah was one of the most important scholars of the time, with an incredible education and a teacher of Greek and Italian education. He was also an admirer of the Italian architect Sebastian Cerlio. Utilizing the knowledge and information he drew from the books of the Italian architect, he built the monastery by adapting the slope of the ground and creating an artificial level, where the water and wine workshops were housed.

The church is built in Byzantine architectural cruciform style with three domes
The main church is surrounded by two smaller vaulted chapels
The facade of the church has double columns of Ionic and Corinthian style and has an inscription in Greek, which dates back to 1631
The door of the monastery cellar dates back to 1613

After Jeremiah’s death in 1636, his brother Lawrence continued to build the monastery. During the Turkish occupation, the monastery was severely attacked by the Ottomans and especially with its burning in 1821. Inside the monastery, there is a museum where visitors can admire the wonderful collection of paintings and rare books. In the chapels of Sotirios and Agios Ioannis the Theologian, visitors will admire the famous wooden iconostasis of the 17th century. Today the monastery continues to play an important role in the religious and economic life of the island. Tzagarolon monastery is administered by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the production of organic products such as oil, wine, honey, vinegar and soap from olive oil is of exceptional quality.