The Monastery of the Annunciation (), commonly known as the Evangelistria Monastery (), is a monastery dedicated to the

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

of the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

which sits on a hillside some 4 km north of Skiathos town on the Greek island of

Skiathos Skiathos (, ; , ; and ) is a small Greece, Greek Islands of Greece, island in the northwest Aegean Sea. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades archipelago, east of the Pelion peninsula in Magnesia (regional unit), Magnesia ...

. Although some buildings are ruined, the church and accommodation buildings have been restored. The monastery was founded in 1794 by a group of

Kollyvades The Kollyvades () were the members of a movement within the Eastern Orthodox Church that began in the second half of the eighteenth century among the monastic community of Mount Athos, which was concerned with the restoration of traditional practice ...

monks, who had left the monastery of

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...

after disagreements about matters of Christian ritual. They were led by an ordained monk, Niphon of Chios, and included Gregorios Hatzistamatis, a local monk who had inherited land on Skiathos from his father. In 1807, a group of Greek freedom fighters met at the monastery and swore the Oath of Freedom on a newly designed Greek flag, a white cross on a sky-blue background, which was woven on a loom at the site. The fighters included

Theodoros Kolokotronis Theodoros Kolokotronis (; 3 April 1770 – ) was a Greek general and the pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) against the Ottoman Empire. The son of a klepht leader who fought the Ottomans during the Orlov revolt ...

Andreas Vokos Miaoulis Andreas Vokos, better known by his nickname Miaoulis (; 1765 – 24 June 1835), was a Greek revolutionary, admiral, and politician who commanded Greek naval forces during the Greek War of Independence (1821–1829). Biography Miaoulis was ...

Thymios Vlachavas Thymios Vlachavas (, also known as Παπαθύμιος ''Papathymios''; born in Vlachava (also known as Smoliani) in about 1760, died in 1809) was a klepht. He was the son of Athanasios Vlachavas. In the 19th century, he achieved a prominent p ...

, Nikotsaras and others. The Catholicon of the monastery is a Byzantine-style

cross-in-square A cross-in-square or crossed-dome floor plan was the dominant form of church architecture in the middle and late Byzantine Empire. It featured a square centre with an internal structure shaped like a cross, topped by a dome. Architecture Archite ...

three-aisled church, with three domes, and stands at the centre of the complex. The

iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis () is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere withi ...

is wood carved and bears icons dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The museum houses ecclesiastical artefacts and presents information on the history of the Monastery such as priests' vestments, rare books and manuscripts from the 17th century, gospels from the 18th century, silver and wooden crosses and Byzantine icons. The loom on which the first Greek flag was created can be seen. There is also a photographic record of the subsequent

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...

, which lasted from 1821 until 1829. Vineyards have been created for the production of Alypiakos, a red

Muscat Muscat (, ) is the capital and most populous city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the population of the Muscat Governorate in 2022 was 1.72 million. ...

which was first produced on the island in the 5th century BC. The wine is named after Father Alypos, the fourth abbot of the monastery. Output has increased year on year, some of which is used within the Monastery on religious occasions. Today, the monastery is served by only four resident monks; three others associated with the monastery reside elsewhere. On 25 March each year the ceremony of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary takes place. Access is by foot from Skiathos town up a steep metalled road or by public minibus from Skiathos town bus terminus. Entrance to the monastery itself is usually free.

References

{{Authority control Skiathos Monasteries in Thessaly Museums in Thessaly Religious museums in Greece Christian monasteries established in the 18th century 1794 establishments in the Ottoman Empire 18th-century establishments in Greece