The Holy Monastery of Arkadi is located at an altitude of almost 500 metres, in the north-western foothills of Psiloritis. According to tradition, it was founded by the Byzantine Emperor Herakleios but its construction was begun by the Emperor Arkadios in the 5th century AD, after whom it was named. Expert opinion, however, maintains that both the foundation and name of the monastery should be ascribed to a certain monk named Arkadios. According to an inscription, the two-aisled church of Ayios Konstantinos and the Transfiguration of the Saviour was built in 1587. It is therefore a work carried out during the period of Venetian occupation, as can be seen from a multitude of elements of Renaissance architecture. The katholikon stands at the centre of the complex, which is square in plan; around the perimeter are the monks cells and the ancillary rooms of the monastery. The event which without doubt brought about the designation of Arkadi Monastery as an historic symbol was the revolution of 1866-69, during which Kostis Yiampoudakis from the village of Adele set fire to the powder magazine where all the besieged had gathered, and blew up the whole monastery; thus it became an eternal symbol of freedom. #closter #complex #rethymno #κρήτη
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