Leonidas Kavakos is accompanied by distinguished Greek musicians for a unique evening of chamber music in a venue that symbolizes historical memory.
The Holy Monastery of Arkadi is inextricably linked in historical memory with the concepts of self-sacrifice and voluntary martyrdom for the supreme good of freedom. When the flame of the Cretans’ national liberation struggle against the Turks was transformed into a flame in the gunpowder magazine, this sacred pilgrimage transcended religious boundaries and became a global symbol of freedom.
The historical course of the monastery has its origins in the 13th century, when, according to tradition, a monk named Arkadios founded it on this fertile plateau 23 kilometers southeast of the city of Rethymno, at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level. It was originally dedicated to Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. In 1587, the “catholicon,” the magnificent double-aisled church dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ and Saints Constantine and Helen, was rebuilt. The church is a characteristic example of monastic architecture during the last years of Venetian rule, as it combines Gothic and Renaissance elements. By the end of the 16th century AD, the monastery had acquired its present form, with its fortress-like building complex.
