Lesvos and its long history have produced a number of important monastic centers and churches. The development of monastic life reached its peak after the 13th century, during the Ottoman occupation.
The Convent of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene (Agioi Rafail, Nikolaos kai Irini)
Founded in 1963, the convent was built on the site of a Byzantine monastery that was destroyed by Ottoman soldiers in 1463. It is especially renowned and receives thousands of pilgrims who come to the island solely to visit it and seek the blessing of the Saints. The abbess Eugenia Kleidara, the author of many religious books, and the 40 nuns who comprise the convent’s population are responsible for the convent’s communication and fine reputation.
Taxiarchis in Mantamados
The monastery’s original church was built prior to the 18th century, but was completely reconstructed in 1879. According to legend, the relief icon of the Archangel Michael was moulded from clay and blood. The church contains the prelatic vestment of the martyred Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory V, a national and ecclesiastical relic.
Moni Leimonos
Tall and imposing, the Leimonos Monastery has the most extensive grounds of all the monasteries in Lesvos. It was from its founding year (1526) an important place of asceticism and worship, as well as a dynamic institution of systematized education. Remarkable frescos dating from the 16th and 17th centuries decorate the monastery’s interior. The prominent 16th scholar monk Pachomios Rousanos taught at the renowned Leimoniada School. Its collection of priceless relics and art objects, including Byzantine and Late Byzantine manuscripts and icons, documents, sacred vestments, liturgical vessels, holy relics, and folklore artifacts make this one of the wealthiest monasteries in the Aegean. Its library contains some 5,000 volumes. Today, Moni Leimonos continues its rich spiritual, social and philanthropic traditions. Its grounds contain a museum of folklore and geology, a traditional Lesbian home (living museum) and old-age home.