8 clubs | Kaliviani Monestary

The monastery of Kaliviani has 3 churches, the oldest and smallest one was probably built during the 8th century and became well known due to the miracles reputed to have been performed by the Virgin Mary, after whom it was named. During the second Byzantine Period (961-1204) this little church became a monastery.
In 1924 a larger church was built 6 meters in front of the little church. The story goes that as one of the workers was perched on top of the little church ready to destroy it, he was thrown on the ground and a voice told him to leave this church alone and to start to build the new church six meters away.
In 1971 it was enlarged to cater for the ever increasing numbers of vistors. To the left of the big church you can see the little church of Osiou Charalambi in which you can see his grave and the grave of another monk. The nuns of the monastery tell that they were killed here by the Ottomans due to their beliefs.
In 1957 the monastery officially opended its doors to orphan girls and it is also one of the few nurseries on the island.

Faistos

In the Minoan era the palace and the city of Faistos were the second important, second only to the palace of Knosos. Radamanthys, son of Zeus and brother of King Minos was the ruler of the palace of Faistos and the Messara area. The palace of Faistos had also two important ports, the port of Matala and the port of Kommos. The ruins that you can visit these days are those of the second palace which was build around 1700 BC.
The exact site of Faistos was determined for the first time in the middle of the 19th century by the British admiral T.B.A. Spratt, yet the excavation of the area did not start until 1900, when the Italian School of Archaeology sent an archeological team to start the dig. In 1909 it was interrupted, in 1928 it was resumed for another four years, in 1952 it was once again resumed, always by the Italians, who continue the excavation to this day.