The Monastery of Our Lady of Filerimos is located on the hill of Filerimos, in Ialyssos, at an altitude of 264 meters. The monastery of Panagia is dedicated to the Source of Life and dates back to the 14th century.
This site was preceded by the Acropolis of Ialyssos and the ancient temple of Athena, which in the 5th century AD. was converted into a Christian temple, from which only the Baptistery is preserved today. The later church complex was built by the Knights and restored to its present form by Italian archaeologists.
Just 50 meters northwest of the Church of the Virgin Mary is the one-storey arched church of St. George of Chostos, dated to the second half of the 15th century, which is considered the burial chapel of a prominent Frankish family.
Do you want trusted Travel Insurance? Get a discount using coupon code WRTY100125 at checkout!
There are four versions according to which the hill was named as Filerimos:
From the name of a monk who came from Jerusalem between the 11th and 13th centuries, bringing with him the image of the Virgin Mary which was considered (erroneously) as the work of Luke the Evangelist.
Elsewhere the site seems to have its name in the 10th century, with the establishment of the Byzantine monastery and the presence of a brotherhood, which led a peaceful solitary life in a similar setting.
According to the third version, the name comes from the hermits who lived in the caves of the hill in the Middle Ages.
The latter, which also goes back to medieval times, wants the name to be associated with the surname of a prominent person, the owner of a large area.