Monastery of Faneromeni Lefkada is located on a hill of pine trees above the Town. The monastery gives a gorgeous view to the Capital of Lefkada, the northern side of the island and the opposite coast of the mainland with views of windmills, Lefkada lagoon and the beach of Ai Giannir. It is situated in the region of Frini and it is the saint protector of the island.
Panagia Faneromeni was originally built in 1634, on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Arternis, the goddess of hunting.
In Venetian times and 18th century the monastery was renovated but later destroyed by two fires.
In the late 19th century the monastery was reconstructed again and now hosts and interesting Ecclesiastical museum with rare Byzantine icons, old manuscripts and gospels.
Panagia Faneromeni is the only working monastery on the island. In the well maintained courtyards there are various rescue animals that the monks take care of including deer, turtles, parrot, peacocks, budgerigars, cockatiels and geese.
13/6/22 is Monday of the Holy Spirit, known as Agiou Pneumatos, which is the day following Pentecost, fifty days after the Greek Orthodox Easter. Also a legal holiday in Greece, schools and companies are closed but the shops, restaurants and cafes are open and are normally packed with crowds.
In the Greek Orthodox churches it is a three day celebration, with lots of festivals, as it is a joyous occasion and also referred to by many as the second Easter.
In the biblical story, 50 days after the resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and the church of Jerusalem. It happened during the Jewish feast of Shavuot, a celebration of giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai.
As the Apostles were amongst the crowd, the gospel stories relay that the Holy Spirit descended on them as tongues of fire, enabling them to teach to the assembled crowds, speaking to each person in a language he or she could understand.
The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word 'pentakostos' which means the fiftieth day. It is considered the birthday of the Christian church fir two reasons. Firstly, the descent of the Holy Spirit completed the Trinity - the Father , Son and Holy Spirit - the basis of Christian theology. Secondly, it was the first time that the Apostles began to spread their faith to the masses.
Festivities for the Pentecost begin on the Friday or Saturday before the day itself. The Sunday is also known as Trinity Sunday. Public celebrations, which tend to be local and church related - local fairs or markets, for example, are held on the Saturday. The largest churches in the cities, villages and islands hold services and the town centres have the biggest and most colourful festivals.
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