Heraklion Monastery Panagia Kera Kardiotissa

Location: Ano Kera

The Monastery of Panagia Kera Kardiotissa is located near Kera village, on the foothills of Mountain Dikti. It is one of the oldest monasteries in the region and it is dedicated to the Nativity of Virgin Mary. It celebrates every year on September 8th.

The stone-built church of the monastery was fully restored during the 1970s. Although no one knows when it was exactly constructed, it probably dates to the 14th century. In fact, the oldest reference to the monastery has been found in a manuscript from 1333.

The shrine of the church is the only part that retains its original features. The church has been expanded and its two narthexes have a Byzantine architecture. Inside the church, you will discover murals of great artistic value that date to the 14th and the 15th centuries and allude to the Macedonian School of iconography.

According to tradition, saint Lazaros painted the main icon of the church, which is currently kept in the church of Saint Alphonsus in Rome. A newer icon replaced the original one around 1735 and it is said to have miraculous properties.

During the summer, you can visit the monastery from 07:00 to 19:00. The opening hours during the winter are from 08:00 to 17:00.

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