The island of Lesvos contains a large number of historic churches, many with fine religious iconography. They represent a continuum of ecclesiastical architecture beginning in the Early Christian period and continuing through the late 19th century. Notable among these is the church of Perivolis convent, or Moni Perivolis, located in the west of the island. (...)
The island of Lesvos contains a large number of historic churches, many with fine religious iconography. They represent a continuum of ecclesiastical architecture beginning in the Early Christian period and continuing through the late 19th century. Notable among these is the church of Perivolis convent, or Moni Perivolis, located in the west of the island. Some have dated the complex to the Byzantine period, but its first documented reference is in 1590. Moni Perivolis is characterized by a perimeter wall, interior courtyard, convent, and church. The modest exterior belies its interior, which boasts an extraordinary cycle of wall paintings depicting the life of Christ, believed to date from the late-sixteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century. The complex was previously used as a monastery and then used as a convent. Since the 1990s, it has been used for weddings, funerals, baptisms, religious festivals, and feast days. A group of twelve historic churches on Lesvos, Moni Perivolis among them, was included in the 2008 and 2010 World Monuments Watch.
