In the center of the historical district of Chania, there is the Cathedral of the Three Martyrs that is the main cathedral in the city. The history of the temple is very interesting. In the 14th century, the St. Blessed Virgin Church was built at its site. Its main relic was the ancient icon. In the middle of the 17th century, the city was conquered by the Turks. They reconstructed the old church and opened the soap factory here. The main relic of the church has been preserved and stored in a warehouse for several hundred years. In the second half of the 19th century, one of the factory workers dreamed of the St. Virgin. She specified a path to the icon. When it was found, the temple was restored. Now, it is one of the most beautiful religious monuments in the neoclassic style.
In the city and its surroundings, there are several old monasteries, one of which is the Orthodox Gouverneto Monastery. It was found in 1548 but the founder’s name is still unknown. According to one of the legends, the initiator of the monastery construction was one of the wealthy local residents. The initial building was used for defensive purposes, so it resembles an impregnable fortress. The monastery was damaged in the period of the Second World War. It was completely restored only a few years ago.
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