Kouvari

It lies in the south of Patmos, at the bay of Stavros.
It was founded by the hieromonk Amfilochios Makris (1889-1970), who was a holy man. He also founded the convent of the Annunciation in 1937. His sister, Kalliopi Nikitaki – who later became sister Martha – bought the land of Kouvari and donated it for the establishment of the kathisma (hermitage with a chapel that belongs to a monastery).
The little monastery is dedicated to St Joseph the Betrothed; today, the confessor of the convent of the Annunciation lives there.

The church is cruciform with an octagonal dome, which has twelve windows and rests upon a square base. The wooden iconostasis inside the church is adorned with a pattern of vines, interspersed with early Christian symbols (the fish, the lamb, the Byzantine cross).

In the north side of the cross, in a wooden icon stand, there is an icon (116 x 82 cm) depicting, on the right, St John the Divine in front of the Cave of the Apocalypse welcoming Blessed Christodoulos and, on the left, the monastery of St John in miniature. St John is standing by a table, on which there is a parchment that reads “In the beginning was the Word”, while Blessed Christodoulos is holding another parchment. These truly remarkable works of art have been made by the iconographer of the convent of the Annunciation, sister Olympiada.

In the south side of the cross, inside a similar icon stand, there is an icon (116 x 82 cm) of St Joseph the Betrothed in his workshop. Under Saint Joseph's figure, which dominates the icon, four scenes are depicted: the birth of Christ (top left), the flight of Joseph and Mary to Egypt (bottom left), Joseph's dream (top right), and Joseph and Mary at the coronation with God the Father blessing them (bottom right). It should also be noted that in the scene of the flight to Egypt, the donkey that carries Mary and the infant Christ, behind which Joseph is walking, is guided by a boy inscribed “James”; obviously, he is no other than James the Lord's brother. The inscription of the icon states that it was made in 1860.

Livadi Kalogeron (“monks' meadow”)

It lies in the north of Patmos and its original name was Livadi Koutrouli (“Koutroulis' meadow”), after the name of the first owner. Later on, it was acquired by a wealthy merchant, Nikolaos Mathas, who devoted it to the upkeep of the churches of Ypakoi Panaghias, Forty Martyrs and St Andrew.

In the mid-18 th century, the hieromonk Parthenias Partheniadis –who belonged to the traditionalistic movement of Kollyvades– came to Livadi Kalogeron, along with other monks, and led an ascetic life there.

At that time, the place became known as “kathisma Partheniou”. Parthenias died a martyr's death when he was killed by the Turks on March 5th, 1805. According to Smyrnakis, crop increased thanks to Parthenias' escort. As a result, the owners reclaimed the land of Livadi, however it still hosted many ascetics.

In 1833, the entire area was bought by the former Bishop of Pelousion Amfilochios, who was urged by his brother, the hieromonk Nikodimos, to do so. Amfilochios restored the ruined kathisma , as well as the Byzantine church which is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Smyrnakis visited the kathisma around 1935 and described it in detail. The domed church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is surrounded by the refectory, the cookhouse and the furnace, as well as a two-storey building containing eight cells. The length of the church from the sanctuary to the end of the vestibule is 16.05 m, and its width is 5.95 m. The vestibule is 4.69 m long and 2.52 m wide. The ceiling is supported by arches and its height is 6.76 m. The church floor is made of marble and has a bas-relief of a two-headed eagle. The wooden, gold-plated iconostasis is adorned with patterns of leaves and flowers, and it was made in 1810 by two monks from the nearby island of Ikaria. Its icons depict Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and John the Baptist. In the south external wall there is a single-arched belfry. In front of the cell building lies a small Corinthian capital that has been transported from the village of Gerontas.

In this way, the ascetic and liturgical tradition of Kollyvades was transferred to the island of Patmos –becoming a major influence– through these two kathismata , Panaghia Koumana and Livadi Kalogeron.

Profitis Ilias (“Elijah the Prophet”)

This hermitage overlooks the entire south part of Patmos, being built on the highest peak on the island (269 m).The marble inscription found at the entrance states that it was founded by the hieromonk Neofytos Symiakos in 1746.

The chapel of the hermitage is single-aisled and domed, 7.45 m long and 3.56 m wide. Its wooden, gold-plated iconostasis was made in 1795. There is also an icon of St Basil, which was made by the Cretan Konstantis Kydoniaios in 1785.