Following a route to the right after a 2.1-kilometer journey, we encounter the Holy Monastery of Vidiani amidst an imposing landscape. The monastery was built on the site of the old metochi (dependency) of the Vides family (1583), which was settled by members of this old family who had come from Chandakas (Heraklion) as land tenants. The surname Vidos, in the form Vidakis, is still heard in the Lassithi region.
The Monastery of Vidiani was founded after 1856 by the hieromonk Methodios Perakis and was set on fire by the Turks in 1867 during the Battle of Lassithi. It was renovated and reopened in 1874. During its short life, it experienced both periods of prosperity and decline.
Since 1959, the year of the death of the last monk, the Monastery had been abandoned to the wear of time. In 1981, the Association of Lassithiots of Heraklion undertook its restoration and submitted a proposal that included various initiatives, the most significant of which was the creation of a Natural History Museum. This museum would exhibit samples of fauna and flora, as well as various rocks from the region of the Lassithi Plateau.
The proposal was accepted and incorporated into the LEADER program. In the meantime, a decision was made to revive monastic life at the monastery, and the first abbot appointed was Archimandrite Damianos Beleris. After his transfer to Kroustallenia Monastery, a new abbot, Dorotheos Kaftakis, was appointed. He has shown great dedication and has carried out highly significant work.
In addition to the awe-inspiring and serene environment that visitors will enjoy, they can also visit the Natural History Museum, while inside the monastery they can admire the renowned icon of the Virgin Mary of Vidiani (from the Middle Byzantine period), as well as the icons of the iconostasis, which were created around 1880 at the School of Fine Arts of the Athens Polytechnic.
It is worth noting that the last abbot of the monastery, Dorotheos Tsangarakis, who played a significant role in the resistance during the occupation, was arrested by the Germans, brutally tortured, and ultimately executed in Agyia, Chania, at the end of October 1943.
