EVAGELISMOS (ANNUNCIATION) Monastery in PATMOS
The Monastery of Evaggelismos (Evaggelismou or Annunciation), is a women's convent located S/W of Chora (Town), apx 20 minutes from the bus Station. It is an impressive building with marvelous views towards the western coast of Patmos (Kipi bay) . Until 1613 this monastry was a small chapel. Then, Nikiforos, who was then Abbot of the Saint John's Monastery refurbished the building and dedicated it to Osios Lukas the Evangelist. In 1937 Amfilohios Makris built some new buildings and established the Monastery, which now has about 40 nuns.
The nuns besides the monastic life and their holy studies, occupy themselves with apiculture, agriculture, gardening, hagiography (paint icons) and a special kind of embroidery named "Spitha" (spark). This is a Byzantine type of embroidery, which is characteristic of Patmos. Their works are real masterpieces.
A nun is an expert in hagiography (she was a student of the famous painter of hagiography, Fotis Kontoglou) and teaches her art. One may order an icon from the monastery. It may take a little long to be prepared but it they worth waiting.
The monastery has interesting icons dating from the 15th, 16th and 17th century. There are also some contemporary icons created by the nuns.
If you want to get there on foot you may follow the narrow road opposite Chora's Town Hall. You will see a small shop and a crossroad. Keep to the right until you see another junction with three wooden signs. One sign directs you to a road with steps. After two roads you turn to the right and then again to the right until you see a little square. Continue to the right. Then you will see two whitewashed chapels, which you may visit (there is a nun). Opposite the chappels there is a path (to the right) and after apx 400m you will see the the road and then the Monastery's gate.