The church was founded in the second Byzantine period and was a center of intellectual and artistic activity from the 15th to the 17th century.

St. Catherine's now serves as an exhibition venue owned by the Archdiocese of Crete.

It houses works representative of the Cretan Renaissance, the most outstanding of which are portable icons by Michail Damaskinos, a key representative of the Cretan School of painting that flourished under the Venetians in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The displays also include collections of altar furnishings, books, vestments, and detached murals.

Michael Damaskenos or Michail Damaskenos (Greek, 1530/35-1592/93) was a leading post-Byzantine Cretan painter, of the 16th century AD.

He was a near-contemporary of the most famous Cretan painter of any period, El Greco, but though Damaskinos also went to Italy, he remained much closer to his Greek roots stylistically.

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Opening Hours : Weekdays, 08.30 -14.30
Tel. : +30 2810 288 825 Moni Odigitrias