High on a Cretan hillside at 280 metres, Paliani Monastery is among the oldest on the island, its origins reaching back to the first Byzantine period. This is a working women's monastery rather than a communal foundation: the nuns sustain themselves through embroidery and knitting, and a permanent exhibition displays their handiwork. The church itself has three aisles, a distinctive form to seek out as you wander the grounds. Visiting here offers a quiet encounter with living Byzantine tradition, where centuries of devotion and daily craft continue side by side.
Coordinates and heritage data compiled in the Atika atlas.
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