Arkadi Monastery
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| Please expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French Wikipedia. (September 2009) After translating, </tr> </table>The monastery of Arkadi (in Greek: / Moní Arkadhíou) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery, situated on a fertile plateau 14 mi (23 km) to the southeast of Rethymnon on the island of Crete (in Greece). The current catholicon (church) dates back to the 16th century and is marked by the influence of the Renaissance. This influence is visible in the architecture, which mixes both Roman and baroque elements. This church with two naves was destroyed by the Turks in 1866 and rebuilt since. As early as the 16th century, the monastery was a place for sciences and the arts, and had a school and a rich library. Situated on a plateau only accessible with extreme difficulty and surrounding by thick and high wall, the monastery is a true fortress. The monastery played an active role in the Cretan resistance of Ottoman rule during the Cretan revolt in 1886, 943 Greeks sought refuge in the monastery, the majority of which were women and children. After three days of battle, under orders from the hegumen (abbot) of the monastery, the Cretans blew up barrels of gunpowder, preferring to sacrifice themselves rather than surrender. The monastery became a national sanctuary in honor of the Cretan resistance. November 8 is henceforth the day of commemorative parties, to Arkadi and to Rethymnon. The explosion did not end the Cretan insurrection, but attracted the attention of Europe to the struggle for independence. Uprising of 1866-1869
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