Aghia Triada - Chania

The monastery of Aghia Triada (Holy Trinity), 16km from Chania, was built in the 17th century on top of a pre-existing church, by two brothers of the Venetian-Cretan Zangaroli family monks. The two brothers had been converted to the Orthodox faith and conversant of the Greek and Latin learning, as can be seen from their writings but also from the bilingual signs which have survived in large numbers in the monastery grounds. The church itself is of Byzantine cruciform architecture with three domes. The main church is dedicated to the Aghia Triada and the two side chapels to Agios Ioannis Prodromos. The church is a very good example of the heavy, decorative Western-style influence in the exterior decoration of Byzantine churches. Τhe church has double columns of Ionic and Corinthian style and an inscription. A large bell tower was added later, in 1864.The monastery was an important theological school in the 19th century.