Holy Monastery of Saint Theoktisti and Chapel of Theoskepasti

The Holy Monastery of Saint Theoktiste stands in northern Ikaria, near the village of Pigi, in a pine forest. It is dedicated to Saint Theoktiste of Lesvos; its founding date is unknown, but it was certainly active in 1688, when the Katholikon was painted, according to a surviving inscription on the south wall. The monastic complex includes the main church, cells, and auxiliary spaces; the Katholikon is a single-nave, barrel-vaulted basilica. Its frescoes are attributed to Hatzis Pantelis of Chios and follow the Cretan School. A short distance away is the Chapel of Theoskepasti, formed inside a cave under a rock, where, tradition says, the saint’s relics were transferred; inside survives a carved wooden iconostasis dated 1894. Today there are no monks in residence; the feast of Saint Theoktiste is celebrated on 9 November and draws crowds of visitors for its combined religious and historical value.