Three wonderful monasteries characterize the historical course of Skiathos, which the cosmopolitan Alexandros Papadiamantis describes on many occasions through his short stories, and whose historicity still exists today.

Three monasteries, real landmarks for the green island of the Sporades, which continue to exist, but in a different state each of them, since some were preserved, some were destroyed and some are being restored with absolute respect to their original form.

The three monasteries of Skiathos, one more beautiful than the other, concern Panagia Kechrias, Panagia Kounistra (Ikonistria) and the well-known Monastery of the Annunciation.

Panagia Kechria

Panagia Kehrias is a historical monastery of Skiathos, which has been characterized as historic protected monument by the Ministry of Culturebut it was in a not so good condition, as a result, a few years ago the people of Skiathos became interested and began efforts to restore and restore the monastery.

The Catholic Church of the Monastery, which is in a tolerable condition, belongs to the type of small single-chamber dome churches with side niches and is decorated with frescoes in the Byzantine style and according to the appraisers it was painted at the beginning of the 18th century.

Among the frescoes with a western style, Platytera stands out, with a special evocative look in her eyes, while a typical fresco is the one that depicts the hieromonk Grigorio Anni offering a church, apparently the catholicon of Panagia tis Kechria, since he was abbot of the Monastery in the mid-18th century century.

Among the important decorations of the Catholic Church are the extremely important despotic icons of the iconostasis that are kept in the monastery of Evangelismos, with the top of all the image of “Rhodon Amaranton” depicting the Virgin Mary holding the baby, with the rose as her central symbol, as well as the wood carving of great interest iconostasis of the 18th century.

Panagia Kunistra

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Panagia Kounistra, according to local lore, since the correct name is Panagia Ikonistria, is located in the west of Skiathos in a wonderful green landscape with pine trees on the road that leads to Aselinos and is considered by the Skiathians as the most sacred place on the island, since in the area in 1650 the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary was found.

Everyone is surprised by the strange name that has been given, and according to the locals Panagia Kunistra comes from the fact that the icon was found floating on a pine branch and for this reason the hieromonk Simeon who found it named it Panagia Kunistra.

The icon of Panagia is kept today in the metropolitan church of the Three Hierarchs.

The monastery was used as a school during the Turkish occupation and it is estimated that repairs were made around 1726, while two inscriptions confirm the events with dates.

The monastery of Evangelistria

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The monastery of Evangelistria is the pinnacle for the people of Skiathos and is a part of everyday life for every inhabitant of the island, since during all major religious holidays the monastery of Evangelismos plays a leading role in the life of the place.

Vangelistra, for the people of Skiathos, is male monasteryfounded in 1794 and is located almost at the highest point of the island.

It was founded with the outbreak of the crisis with the famous Kollyvades on Mount Athos, i.e. the dispute between the monks regarding the observance of memorial services on Saturday or Sunday. With these events the Hieromonk Nifon, one of the leading figures of the Kollyvadas, left Mount Athos, initially went to Ikaria, but ended up in the fertile Skiathos and with the exhortation of the Skiathite monk Grigorios Hatzistamati, whose father had a large fortune, built the monastery of Evangelismos in the location “Agalianoi”.

In 1797 Nifon succeeded in having the monastery recognized as Stavropigiko with the signature of Patriarch Gregory V and a few years later the most important moment in its history is recorded when in 1807 Nikotsaras arrives at the monastery from Mount Athos and gathers many chieftains, among them and Theodoros Kolokotronis, who were sworn by Niphon “having in front of them the flag (white cross on a blue ground)” that they would participate in the struggle for the liberation of Greece.

This was the first Greek flag on a blue background and white cross and it remains as the national symbol of Greece and is kept today as the most precious national heirloom from the national Revolution of 1821.

The monastery of Evangelistria today is completely restored, restored and modern, it also functions as an agricultural production area with fine wine products and other local products, produced in the farms of the monastery.

The operation of the monastery follows the standard of Saints and especially during Holy Week where the whole island flocks for the divine ceremonies.