At the top of the Petalou valley, at an altitude of 470 m, near the village of Kalamonas, there is the Monastery of Panagia Kalopetra, which is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin. The Monastery, which existed since 1489, was built by Alexandros Ypsilantis in 1782, when he was exiled to the island with his two sons. Above the entrance of the Church of the Virgin, 2 marble foundational inscriptions are preserved, referring to the time of reconstruction 1782-84 and to the name of Alexandros Ypsilantis (AL XA YPS BB ML DB, Voevodas of Moldovlachia).
The place functioned as a cenobitic Men's Monastery and experienced great prosperity until the beginning of the 20th century. He maintained cells, reading rooms, warehouses, owned property and exploited the medicinal oil from the Zia tree. After 1912 the Monastery stopped hosting monks. Today, church books printed in Venice in 1754, a Holy Gospel (1745), a copper disk (with Adam and Eve) and a silver Chalice (1873) are preserved from the monastery. Also, two bronze discs with Gothic rim inscriptions (14th). The Monastery celebrates on the 15th of August, Diakainisimo Friday and Great Friday.
Editor: Niki Kalopaidis