Saint David’s monastery is very well known in Euboea (or Evia) and all over Greece, especially after the end of the earthly course of its charismatic Abbot, elder Iakovos (Tsalikis), whose tomb is located outside the Catholicon (the main church) of the monastery.
The monastery is located in the heart of a beautiful dense area in Rovies, northern Evia (in Central Greece) and is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ.
Saint David of Euboea, who built the monastery, was the abbot of Theotokos Varnakova monastery (1520-1532) and later he left for Rovies, North Evia. In 1540 he founded the famous monastery, which now bears his name, on the ruins of a pre-existing church that had been destroyed by the Turks after the occupation of Euboea in 1470.
He was one of the enlightened teachers of the Nation, who offered so muchin the educationof the enslaved Greeks, and at the same time a Saint of the Orthodox Church, who is credited with many miracles. His fragrant relics are kept in the Catholicon of the monastery, as well as the censer and stole.
The monastery during the Byzantine era was honored with imperial titles, which were unfortunatelydestroyed during the burning down of the monastery in 1824 by the Turks as a revenge for the participation of the monks in the Greek War of Independence. It was rebuilt in 1877. In the basement, there is a small church of the Holy Unmercenaries with frescoes of the 17th century.
Within a kilometre north of the monastery therelies Agioneri (: “holy water”). According to tradition, Saint David hit the rock with his stick and abundant thermal water flowed. Furthermore, within a 20-minute walk south of the monastery, there is Saint David’s Hermitage, a small cave in the rock, with the chapel of Saint Charalampus.
In the years of the late abbot, Archimandrite Iakovos Tsalikis (1975-1991), who left a good memory of a blessed man,the monastery experienced days of glory and growth.
The Blessed Elder Iakovos lived in St. David’sfor forty years. He imitated Saint David, and followed his path. His ascetic struggles were equivalent to the old saints.
The more his challenges, diseases and afflictions were getting harder, the more God blessed him with rare spiritual gifts and his reputation was increasing.
Hundreds of ordinary people came to the monastery to see him and asked for his advice, among whom patriarchs and bishops, monks and clergyof every degree, political leaders and senior judges, university professors and scientists.
Relics of many saints are kept in the monastery. Today, it has 17 monks and it celebrates on the feasts of the Transfiguration of the Christ(6/8) and Saint David (1/11).
Location
The monastery is located near the seafront, just 21 km north of Lake Evia and 16 km from Rovies on the slopes of Mt Kavalaris at an altitude 927 meters.
Contact Number: (+30)2227071297