Arsani

Timeline

• 16th century: The monk Arsenios founds the male monastery of Arsanios.
• 1600: Inauguration of the church of St. George (the oldest church).
• 1601: A manuscript refers to the monastery of Arsanios
• 1646: The Turks occupy Rethymnon and, probably, the monastery is deserted.
• 1655: The Bishop Neophytos Patelaros grants the monastery to the Patriarchate.
• 1740: The monastery is no longer managed by the Patriarch.
• 1778: The Patriarchate restores the stavropegic (patriarchal) status of Arsaniou.
• 1850: The stavropegic status is renewed.
• 1856: The cells of the monastery's collapse from a strong earthquake.
• 1866: The Turks destroy what they can from the monastery, due to the revolutionary activities of the monks.
• 1888: The new Church of St. George is built on the ruins of the old church.
• 1896: The Turks burn and plunder the monastery.
• 1897: The Turks kill the monk Gabriel Klados. They hang his head on a tree of Rethymnon town and practice on shooting!
• 1900: The monastery is declared as about to stop its operation.
• 1903: The monastery of Arsaniou is reconstituted.
• 1935: Arsaniou is declared preservable. It's granted the smaller monasteries of Agia Irini and Chalevi.
• 1941: During the Second World War, the Germans kill the abbot Damianos Kallergis for offering help to the guerrillas.
• 1970: The monastery gets renovated.
• 1988-90: The main temple is decorated with frescoes. The museum and the conference center are founded.