Lassithi Kapsa Monastery

Location: Makrigialos

Located less than 10 km from Makris Gialos, near Perivolakia Gorge, Kapsa Monastery is built on a steep hillside overlooking the sea and the pebbled Kapsa Beach. It is dedicated to Saint John the Forerunner and celebrates annually on August 29th.

Although most parts have been reconstructed, it is very old and it is believed to have been originally built sometime between the 13th and the 15th centuries in an area that had probably been occupied by hermits since the Byzantine Period. The monastery was destroyed around 1471, likely due to Turkish pirate attacks, and it was gradually rebuilt by the monk Iossif Gerontogiannis and his descendants over the second half of the 19th century.

Iosif Gerontogiannis became a hermit after the death of one of his daughters and dedicated his life entirely to healing and the renovation of the monastery. He used to reside in a cave, which has now been converted into a chapel. After passing away, he was declared a saint and his relics are kept in the monastery.

In 1900, the convent was dissolved and became part of the Toplou Monastery. During the German occupation period, it offered shelter to resistance fighters and was shut down by the Germans in 1943. The monks were only able to return and reopen it in 1945, once the war was over.

The only part of the original monastery that still survives to this day is the northern wall of the church, whose murals date between 1552 and 1809. Some of its most remarkable features are its mosaic floor and its altarpiece, which dates back to 1869, while the building complex consists of reconstructed monastic cells, a water tank, a kitchen and a traditional oven.

Kapsa monastery can be reached by car and its opening hours are from 07:00 to 12:30 and from 15:30 to 20:00. It is good to bear in mind that it has a strict dress code for visitors, which consists of sleeved shirts, long skirts for women and trousers for men.