Monastery of Agios Onoufrios

The Monastery of Agios Onoufrios is located in the village of Gardelades of Corfu and is now in ruins.

But, the impressive ruins of the building facilities of the monastery stand remarkably even today, while the traditions of the miracles of Agios Onoufrios still remain alive in the memory of the people.

The narrow and long edifice with arches, which is saved by the Monastery of Agios Onoufrios, as well as the tall bell-tower with the double spire, impress the visitors and make them imagine the greatness of the monastery in its heyday.

The icon of the Coronation of the Virgin by the Holy Trinity, a work of 1783, by Spyridonos Sperantzas, was there. The theme of the icon is considered western, while on three of the corners of the icon are depicted miracles of Agios Onoufrios. The Monastery of Agios Onoufrios is shown in the top left corner of the icon in the Corfiot landscape.

As it was preserved in folk tradition, one of the miracles that occurred in the Monastery of Agios Onoufrios is as follows: A muleteer (who is shown in the icon) was an oil trader. Once, he had bought oil from the Monastery and he wanted to «enrich» it with another in order to deceive the buyers. However, shortly after, when he stopped at a lake, in Kavourolimni, to water the horse, the horse bolted and fell in the water to drown! The voices of the muleteer were heard by the abbot who came to help him and when he asked what had happened, the villager admitted his impropriety. Immediately, the horse came out of the lake, calmed down and continued its way normally!