Anafonitria Monastery Zakynthos

The Monastery of Anafonitria is one of the few historic buildings that survived the terrible earthquake of 1953. We find it in the north-west of Zakynthos in a large pine forest about thirty kilometers from the capital and seven from Porto Vromi.

Of great historical and cultural interest, it dates back to the 15th century and its beautiful story tells that in 1453 a merchant ship while fleeing from Zakynthos, was shipwrecked on the rocks and the shepherds of the area began to see a glow at night in the lower part of the mountain. In the morning together with the priests they looked for the place from where the light came and in a cave they found the icon of the Madonna and Child (in Greek called Vrekofratusas). The lords of the island therefore decided to build a monastery in honor of the Virgin and to keep the sacred icon in the church which, however, magically returned to the cave where it was found every night. They therefore decided to build a chapel in the place where it was found, calling it Katikitirio (in Greek means House of God). From then on the icon remained in the monastery and to commemorate the event, still today on Easter Monday it is taken to the small chapel celebrating a big party. After the conquest of Constantinople, the convent hosted the miraculous icon of the Virgin of Anafonitria which is still preserved and has also given its name to the beautiful village that surrounds the church.

The Monastery of Anafonitria, is a sacred place for the inhabitants of Zakynthos as Saint Dionysius patron of the island, lived the last years of his life right here. San Dionisio came from an aristocratic family, a great scholar of theology undressed all his riches and donated them to the poor of the island. One of his more 'charitable actions than him' was forgiveness and help to escape from Zakynthos to his brother's murderer.

Another illustrious saint was also welcomed in the monastery, Agios Gerasimon patron of the island of Kefalonia as well as the one who gave the baptism to St. Dionysius. Here too a popular story tells that when he decided to return to his island, the fishermen of Zakynthos refused to help him and Agios Gerasimos in a moment of anger imposed that from that day on no priest would ever live in the monastery again. in our times it is respected. The parish priest and the villagers themselves take care of the abbey.

The building at the entrance has a medieval tower with four arched openings with a cross above that once served as a sighting and defense point towards the conquerors, now it has been transformed and is used as a bell tower. Inside, the Church of Agia Anastasia which houses the precious icon of the Virgin of Constantinople with other beautiful frescoes.

No less beautiful is the homonymous village that surrounds the Monastery of Anafonitria, a small village made up of classic stone houses, small tree-lined squares, typical taverns where you can stop to taste the local flavors and shops that sell excellent honey and olive oil produced directly from inhabitants. From the town it is also possible to go and explore all the fantastic mountain area of the north of Zakynthos.

It is one of the most popular destinations especially on pilgrimage by the faithful devoted to San Dionisio.

You have to go to the northwest of the island and you can choose whether to take the coastal road or the hinterland. As always, we recommend having your own means of being completely independent.

A stop to put on the list of things to see in Zakynthos, a mystical place dear to the inhabitants and an interesting historical point of the island.