MONT FILERIMOS
Site nestled in a green nature composed of a fountain and a church.
A winding road leads up to the site of the acropolis of ancient Ialyssos, of which not much remains: nestled in a green area of cypresses and old pines, the interesting monastic complex of Filerimos stands today where the acropolis of the ancients once dominated. Only the ruins of a Doric fountain (4th century B.C.) still bear witness to the ancient period. The fountain was carved into the rock, decorated with lions' heads and supported by six sculpted columns, all of which have now disappeared. During the early Christian period, a Byzantine church dedicated to the Virgin of Filerimos was built on the site of a 3rd century BC temple of Athena, traces of which were not found until the 1870s. The monastery was established by the Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in the 15th century. When they took possession of the place, they chased the Orthodox popes from the Byzantine basilica to install the Catholic rite, and built the monastery whose cloister and bell tower can still be admired today. The Ottomans destroyed most of the site and the Filerimos complex only regained its former glory after the great renovation work carried out by the Italians in the 1920s. From the Byzantine era remains an underground church decorated with frescoes of the fourteenth century and open to visitors. Before leaving, don't miss the Calvary Way which leads to a large modern cross of 18 m high: the panoramic view is superb!
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