Serifos Monastery of Taxiarches

The Monastery of Taxiarches in Serifos, Cyclades: The Monastery of Agioi Taxiarches is located on the northern side of Serifos Island, close to Galani village. It is a men's monastery built in 1572. This Monastery is dedicated to the patron saints of Serifos, the Archangels Michael, and Gabriel. The Monastery served as a religious, educational and economic center of Serifos until the late 19th century. It had many Venetian fields in its possession and was the storehouse of many treasures. That is why the Monastery had fallen victim to many pirate raids.

The architecture of the monastery is interesting. It has got the look of a fortress with a tall strong wall that is built around to protect it from plunders and pirates. It has got a marble and wooden carved chancel screen with a gilded throne. The beautiful murals painted by Emmanuel Skordilis represent the fight of the Archangel against the Dragon of the Revelation.

The Monastery of Agioi Taxiarches is paved with marble. There is a relief work in the shape of a double-headed eagle at the entrance, symbol of the Byzantine Empire. It also hosts a number of religious heirlooms including many manuscripts, the Sacred Codes of 1754 and valuable rare books. A library has been founded in the Monastery in 1909. Today the Monastery is open to the public.

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Reviews of Monastery of Taxiarches

agiagnoli 15 Dec 2010

No monk at sight

Actually this is the only monastery we visited in Serifos and in fact we found it by chance on our drive around the island. It was early afternoon, the sun was shining and nobody seemed in sight. The front door was open and lead to a beautiful backyard. The flowers had just been watered but we saw no monk while we were there, or any other person in charge of the monastery. Just another couple tourists was with us on this visit. The church was small but nice, it gave a very solemn atmosphere. As it is located on a hill, you get nice views of the slopes and the sea. Sit under the shade of the trees in the yard and rest for a while. It will be very refreshing on a hot summer day.