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Places near Skotino
On the north coast of Crete and to the east of Heraklion, this municipality spreads from the lovely beaches a few kilometres inland to the fertile fields and picturesque villages that cling to the different hills. In recent years, the tourist development has been very marked in this area, due on the one hand to its wonderful beaches, on the other hand, to its vicinity to Heraklion to the west and Chersonissos a few kilometres to the east. It covers an area of 9496 ha. and has a population of 4918 people. Nowadays, the summer resorts of Kato Gouves, Gournes, Kokkini Hani, Amnissos and Karteros have a complete tourist infrastructure to meet all demands. Tourist Facilities Organised beaches, large modern hotels, family apartments, restaurants, small tavernas, recreation centres, sports centre, shops, car and motorbikes for rent, small ports (marinas) for small boats, in a word they provide everything our visitors require to spend an agreeable and carefree holiday, enjoying the sunshine by day and the thrilling night-life in the numerous bars in the area. At a short distance inland you can escape the lively racket of tourist life and find peace and quiet in a traditional setting. Picturesque villages, important monuments, lovely monasteries like the one of "Kyra Eleousa" and "Theologos", mysterious caves like "Ilithia" and the one of Skotino at Aghia Paraskevi, the pretty chapels strewn all over the beautiful Cretan landscape will remain in your mind and in your heart long after your holidays are over
The monastery of Kyra Eleoussa belongs to that of Agaranthou and is near the village of Voritsi, at the area of Gouves village - beach. It is a buttressed monastery and the loopholes are still visible on the eastern flank. Significant ruins, of great archaeological value, are still standing.
Taking advantage of the different heights on which it is built, the monastery spreads out on different levels with communicating staircases. The monks cells were built in the south, south-western and eastern sides. The main entrance is triangular n shape and lies to the north-eastern side; there is a secondary, less important entrance to the north-west. A small patio at the main entrance leads off to the ancient olive-press and storerooms. A stone staircase leads to the vegetable garden.
To judge from the ruins that still stand, this monastery was autonomous and was built according to the fortification needs in Venetian times. It was built over an older monastery, which in turn was almost certainly built on the site of an even older sanctuary. Two columns, a stone one in the garden and a marble one now supporting the main gate (which incidentally is known as "Charasini" because it leads to the village of Charaso close by), are the only two vestiges of these older buildings. The church, in the centre, has two old tombs of monks or abbots. There are two other tombs, more or less visible, near the entrance where a cistern, with its whole network of pipes, collected the rain water.
A relief found here is now exhibited at the Aghia Ekaterini Museum in Heraklion. The monastery of Kyra Eleousa is mentioned in a document of 1606, near
Gouves
In 1635 it formed part of the important monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai and was ruled by Mathaios Makelaris. We come across this name again in a document dated 1602 and Mathaios Makelaris seems to have played an important role in the foundation of the monastery. In a document of 1635, he is referred to as the abbot of the monastery.
This last document is actually the dowry agreement between the poet Marco Antonio Foscolo, author of the play "Fortunatos", and his future brother-in-law Petro Vidal; it was signed in the presence of the abbot Mathaios Makelaris of the monastery of Kyra Eleousa and in the presence of the priest of the neighbouring village of Koxare, Father Giorgos Serepetsis.
Taking advantage of the different heights on which it is built, the monastery spreads out on different levels with communicating staircases. The monks cells were built in the south, south-western and eastern sides. The main entrance is triangular n shape and lies to the north-eastern side; there is a secondary, less important entrance to the north-west. A small patio at the main entrance leads off to the ancient olive-press and storerooms. A stone staircase leads to the vegetable garden.
To judge from the ruins that still stand, this monastery was autonomous and was built according to the fortification needs in Venetian times. It was built over an older monastery, which in turn was almost certainly built on the site of an even older sanctuary. Two columns, a stone one in the garden and a marble one now supporting the main gate (which incidentally is known as "Charasini" because it leads to the village of Charaso close by), are the only two vestiges of these older buildings. The church, in the centre, has two old tombs of monks or abbots. There are two other tombs, more or less visible, near the entrance where a cistern, with its whole network of pipes, collected the rain water.
A relief found here is now exhibited at the Aghia Ekaterini Museum in Heraklion. The monastery of Kyra Eleousa is mentioned in a document of 1606, near
Gouves
In 1635 it formed part of the important monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai and was ruled by Mathaios Makelaris. We come across this name again in a document dated 1602 and Mathaios Makelaris seems to have played an important role in the foundation of the monastery. In a document of 1635, he is referred to as the abbot of the monastery.
This last document is actually the dowry agreement between the poet Marco Antonio Foscolo, author of the play "Fortunatos", and his future brother-in-law Petro Vidal; it was signed in the presence of the abbot Mathaios Makelaris of the monastery of Kyra Eleousa and in the presence of the priest of the neighbouring village of Koxare, Father Giorgos Serepetsis.
At the place called Halepa, 230m above sea level, 1500m northwest of Skotino village and 6 kilometres from Heraklion city, lies one of the biggest and more interesting caves of the prefecture; that of Agia Paraskevi. Its position is marked by a little white chapel which can be easily reached by car.
The cave is very impressive and attracted the interest of tourists and researchers quite early in the day. Small excavations occurred under the direction of Arthur Evans, and later on by Penlebury, P. Faure and K. Davaras, while in the wider area Minoan installations were found.
The cave is 126m long, 36m wide and 47m high. The large spaces with numerous stalactites and stalagmites and the playing of the light between them create a phantasmagoric landscape that will stay in memory for years to come.
These days, at the entrance of the cave, a full day of celebration takes place every year on the 26 of July, with tasty food, music and dance.
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