Chalepa monastery

The Chalepa monastery in Rethymno prefecture is located near the villages Tsachiana and Veni, 46 km east of Rethymno.

Built on a high hill with magnificent view at the valley of Mylopotamos, the Chalepa monastery is surrounded by a green environment with vineyards and olive trees, and, in some places, there are also kermes oaks (yews) and oak trees.

The first written information about the Chalepa monastery come from the Venetian documents from the period 1555-1625, which mainly referred to the property of the female, at that time, monastery. There are also written records during the Turkish occupation, as the Turks dishonored and slaughtered the nuns not only from this monastery, but also from the nearby of Agia Marina.

Like most monasteries, the Chalepa monastery contributed financially to the education of the residents of Rethymno by donating money to schools and participated actively in the national struggle, which had as a result the disaster of 1823-1824, the period when Hussein Pasha was besieging the Melidoniou Cave. Due to its geographical position and strong economic autonomy, the monastery was several times a target during the Ottoman occupation, with battles culminating in 1867, when the Greeks finally conquered Milopotamos.

The Chalepa monastery or monastery of the Savior Christ Chalepa until 2000 was in ruins, but after the restoration the monastery functions normally and is one of the most beautiful monasteries. The arched corridor is the passageway leading to the heavy wooden entrance door. The monastery church at the easternmost side is a two-nave basilica dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ and the birth of Christ. The cells, the abbey and the public areas were located in the southeastern wing and the west hosted the stables for animals. The point of attraction of the monastery is the old fountain of 1759 with sculptural relief.