Preveli Monastery
Preveli Monastery is a monastery on the south coast of the Rethymno region, close to the Libyan Sea and about 37 km south of Rethymno, made up of two separate complexes. Preveli’s main complex, the Back Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, stands above the sea, and the Lower Monastery of Saint John the Baptist lies further north beside the Kourtaliotis river.
The monastery took part in the Cretan revolutions of the 19th century, and in the Second World War it helped Greek and Allied fighters escape to the Middle East. Most of its buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries, when Preveli was at its height.
The two monasteries of Preveli
The two monasteries of Preveli are separate building complexes under one name. The Back Monastery, or Piso Moni, is the main one, dedicated to Saint John the Theologian and set on a rocky slope by the sea. The Lower Monastery, or Kato Moni, is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and stands further north, near the stone bridge over the Kourtaliotis.
The history of Preveli Monastery
The history of Preveli Monastery has no exact founding date. The Greek Ministry of Culture places its formation in the last years of Venetian rule or the early Ottoman period, in the middle or late 17th century. Tradition holds that a small frescoed church stood where the main church is now, and that the Preveli family, a branch of the Byzantine Kallergis house, began the monastery around it.
Preveli grew in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the buildings of the Back Monastery went up in that period. The oldest wing is the north-west range, which holds the ovens, the stores and the guest rooms and dates from the late 18th century. In 1835, after the monks had sought permission for years, a larger two-aisled church replaced the old one.
The monastery played an active part in the revolutions against Ottoman rule. The outbreak of the 1821 revolution in Crete is linked to events at Preveli, which raised its own fighting corps of monks and laymen under its abbot, Melchisedek Tsouderos, and sold or gave away many of its treasures for the struggle. Because of that revolutionary activity, the monastery was destroyed four times during the 19th century.
Preveli in the Second World War
Preveli was one of the centres of resistance in Crete during the Second World War. Under the German occupation, escape operations were organised from the bay at the Preveli lagoon, taking Greek and foreign fighters off the island to the Middle East.
What to see at the Back Monastery
The Back Monastery is laid out as a P shape, with its wings enclosing a large courtyard. The Ministry of Culture treats it as a significant example of local folk architecture, built simply from the materials of the area, and a large part of it has been restored. The main features are listed below.
- The two-aisled church of 1835, which replaced the earlier single-aisled one.
- The fountain with carved stonework, built in 1701 according to the inscription on its face.
- The north-west wing, the oldest part, with its ovens and stores.
- The cemetery church of the Holy Trinity and an ossuary built in the form of a domed church, both to the south-east.
The monastery museum holds icons, vestments, sacred vessels and books. Its many portable icons show the Cretan School of painting continuing through Ottoman rule into the late 19th century. The painters include Michael Prevelis, Athanasios the hierodeacon and Emmanuel the priest from the first half of the 18th century, Merkourios of Santorini and an artist known as the painter of Sfakia from the first half of the 19th century, and Antonios Vivylakis of Rethymno from its second half.
The Lower Monastery of Saint John the Baptist
The Lower Monastery of Saint John the Baptist stands near the stone bridge of the Kourtaliotis. Its buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries and spread irregularly around a central courtyard. The church in the middle of that courtyard is a single-aisled building dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, rebuilt in the second half of the 19th century.
Things to do near Preveli Monastery
Preveli Monastery has 7 beaches, gorges and villages within 5 km, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Go down to Preveli beach, 1.7 km east.
- Swim at Drymiskos, 2.0 km east.
- Visit the village of Lefkogeia, 2.6 km north-west.
- Walk the Swallows’ Gorge, 2.8 km east.
- Head west to Skinaria beach, 3.3 km away.
- Stop at Damnoni beach, 4.2 km north-west.
- See the Kourtaliotiko gorge and its waterfall, 4.4 km north.
Getting to Preveli Monastery
Preveli Monastery lies about 37 km south of Rethymno, on the south coast of Crete. The resort of Plakias lies 6.8 km north-west, and the village of Asomatos lies 3.8 km to the north.
The monastery stands beside the Kourtaliotis river, and the Lower Monastery sits near the old stone bridge that crosses it. To the east, the village of Kerames lies 5.5 km away.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Preveli Monastery?
Preveli Monastery is on the south coast of the Rethymno region, about 37 km south of Rethymno, close to the Libyan Sea.
What are the two monasteries at Preveli?
The two monasteries at Preveli are the Back Monastery of Saint John the Theologian by the sea, which is the main one, and the Lower Monastery of Saint John the Baptist further north.
What did Preveli do in the Second World War?
Preveli served as an escape point for Greek and Allied fighters leaving Crete for the Middle East under the German occupation, from the bay at the Preveli lagoon.
When was the church at Preveli built?
The present church of the Back Monastery was built in 1835, replacing an older and smaller church.
Is there a museum at Preveli Monastery?
Preveli Monastery has a museum holding icons, vestments, sacred vessels and books, including portable icons by named painters of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Location
Preveli Monastery is located at Preveli Monastery, in the Rethymno region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
