Rethymno Arsani Monastery

Location: Stauromenos

Arsani Monastery is located around 15 minutes from Rethymno by car, in the village of Pagalochori. It is dedicated to Agios Georgios (Saint George), and even though its construction date is unknown, the oldest script that refers to it dates from 1601, when the monastery's church was officially established.

An inscription on the entrance gate suggests that the construction of the complex had been completed by 1645. The monastery was abandoned around 1646 due to the Ottoman occupation of the island but was repopulated a few years later. During the mid-19th century, the tremendous earthquake of 1856 led to the destruction of the cells, and the Turks destroyed the rest of the monastery a few years later, due to the monks’ revolutionary activity.

Despite all the attempts to revive the monastery, by the beginning of the 20th century, it was practically deserted, with the exception of the foundation of a school that operated there for a few years. It only started to regain some attention during the 1930s, though the Second World War blocked all restoration plans.

Reconstruction works finally started in 1970 and in the early 1990s, the project was completed with the embellishment of the church's interior with murals and the establishment of a small ecclesiastical museum.

The museum houses a rich collection of ecclesiastical findings from various monasteries in the region, including icons, rare books, manuscripts, vestments and ornaments. The most recent addition to the monastery's facilities is a conference center.

Currently, the only parts that retain their original 17th-century form are some portals on the northern side. The church was rebuilt in 1888, on the site of the pre-existing one, while the rest of the buildings were reconstructed in the 1970s. The icon of Agios Georgios also dates from the 19th century.

Top Tours and activities

• Arkadi Monastery E-Bike tour with lunch

  Category: Biking, Gastronomy

  Experience a 44-kilometer trip with an e-bike towards the stunning Arkadi Monastery and enjoy a traditional Cretan lunch!

  6 hours Map

  from € 70.00

  Book now