It is located between Firostefani and Imerovigli and is one of the oldest female Holy Monasteries of the Cyclades. The catholicon of the monastery is threefold. One chapel was dedicated to Zoodocho Pigi, the central one to Agios Nikolaos and the third to Agios Panteleimon.
In the church of Ag. Nikolaou you will also see an excellent Byzantine icon of Agios Nikolaos.
Its establishment can be distinguished in two stages: initially, in 1651, the old Monastery was founded in the area of Skaros, and later in the place where it is today.
The castle of Skaros was one of the five settlements of Thira during the Middle Ages. Many Orthodox and Catholic families lived there, and there were churches and a monastery for the Catholics.
One of the families was the family of Gyzis, which was distinguished for its warm religious feelings. Proof was the privately owned church of Agios Nikolaos, which they founded when they settled in Skaros. On the day of the feast of Agios Nikolaos, in 1651, the five brothers of the family decided to visit the Bishop of Santorini, to mention that they want to change their private Church into a Women's Monastic Community because such a thing did not exist on the whole island.
The vision of the Saint, whom they had seen for many days, the Bishop heard with great reverence, and immediately gave his instructions for the realization of the wish of the Gyzi brothers. But everything was done under one condition: the monastery should bear the name of the Gyzides. In 1655 there were 4 nuns while the number was constantly growing. During the years 1700-1702 there were 25 nuns, who were engaged in weaving.
During the Turkish occupation, the Monastery, because it was private, had to pay taxes. In order to avoid taxes, the founders of the Monastery decided to make the Monastery Patriarchal and Stavropigian in the year 1657. However, after thirty years, in 1687, during the reign of Patriarch Iakovos, a seal was issued, which defined: the Monastery to be communal, the abbess should be elected by a majority, her financial management should be controlled, and the life of the monks should be scandalous.
However, around 1815, the area of Skaros began to be deserted. The nuns were also forced to leave.
The Ecumenical Patriarch Cyril S, on January 3, 1816, gave the canonical permission in which it was stated, among other things, that no property should be sold without the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
After three years, it became possible to start the construction of the new building of the Monastery with financial help from the faithful.
The monastery ceased to be considered private by a decision of the Arion of the Ice in the year 1849. The current brotherhood consists of two nuns.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou