The precise date of the Arkadi foundation is unknown. There are a few versions of how it happened. The first version states that monastery was founded by the Byzantine imperator Arkadi who visited the place in the 5 BC. For me it seems unbelievable. It’s very hard to imagine why emperor visited such distant place.
According to another version the monastery was built by the monk Arkadi. It’s more probable because in 5 BC was widespread movement of the monasteries foundation in the remote places located far away from civilization.
The oldest inscription (devoted to the St. Konstanite) which was discovered in the monastery originates from 14 century. According to this fact, was inferred that the current church in the Arkadi was built in the 14 century.
Most promeninet period in the monastery history was in the 16 century. It was the time of common cultural flourishing on island. After the Constantinople fell in the end of 15 century and became the capital of Ottoman Empire most of the artists, poets, writers from the Constantinople relocated to the Crete. It caused magnificent cultural development on the island.
In those times Arkadi was reconstructed. The new baroque church was built, was organized library and the school. Arkadi became famous not only in the Crete but over the all Europe.
In the middle of the 17 century the Turkish danger of the Crete invasion approached to the Crete. Rethymnon fell in the 1645 and after this the life in the monastery was stopped. But not all monks left the Arkadi. Some of them stayed and asked from the Turkish rulers the right to conduct their services.
With the time Arkadi became not only the cultural center but also one of centers of the Greece independence movement. Here our story reached the most glorious pages in the Arkadi history.
In the 1866, Greece rebels were surrounded in the Arkadi by the big Turkish detachment. Turks had 15 000 well armed man with the artillery. They proposed to surrender but Greeks refused to do it.
It was an unequal fight. Then Turks destroyed the walls and passed inside the monastery they are started the massacre without mercy. The last defenders of Arkadi retreated to the military depot and detonated the gunpowder.
They are preferred to die but not to surrender. They are did like 300 Spartans did thousands years ago.
Thereafter the Arkadi became one of the symbols of the fight for Greece’s independence.
