The Monastery of Sissia in Kefalonia: The Old Monastery of the Virgin Mary of Sissia, situated between the villages of Simotata and Platies in the region of Livathos, sits atop a hill near Sissia Beach. It is said to have been founded during the 13th century by the Catholic Saint Francis of Assisi, hence the monastery’s name.
At first, the monastery used to be male-only and Catholic, though it gradually became an Orthodox one. It is also said that Catholic and Orthodox priests coexisted for a lengthy time period, whereas its architecture portrays the strong influence of the Venetian Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Sissia Monastery is highly-praised due to the fact that it boasted large amounts of wealth during the Medieval days, so it featured paintings and icons made by famous iconographers of the time. Most importantly, it used to host the renowned 15th-century icon of the Virgin Mary of Sissia, an heirloom created by the infamous Cretan hagiographer Stefanos Tzangarolas!
After the catastrophic earthquake of 1953, the monastery was completely demolished. Nowadays, its ruins are preserved, and the building is under construction, whereas a new building was constructed near the ruins of the old monastery. In addition, the monastery celebrates on the Second Sunday of Easter, as well as on the 14th of July.
