The Monastery of Agia Marina in Andros is dedicated to the homonymous martyr of the 3rd century AD and is located in the picturesque village of Apikia. It is said that the monastery was built in 1325 AD by a monk to whom Agia Marina miraculously appeared. She informed him about the place where her divine icon was located, in a crevice of a rock. This miracle resulted in the construction of the Holy Monastery of Agia Marina in Andros, with the financial help of Emperor Emmanuel II Komnenos.
The history of the famous monastery is full of difficulties and miracles. During the 1600 AD pirates vandalized, looted, and burned the monastery. In 1743 only 5 monks lived in the monastery. In the same period, Hieronymus Sophronius began to experience miraculous visions that prompted him to sell all his property and convert the monastery into a women’s monastery in 1746.
Almost 150 years later, in 1883, King Otto’s regents turned the monastery into a stable. Then, the miraculous icon of St. Marina was put up for forced auction. The Empeirikos family decided to save it and so the icon remained for 146 years in the church of Panagia in Andros Town.
In 1975, Metropolitan Dorotheos could no longer bear to see the Monastery of Agia Marina in Andros wither away. He urged his deacon, monk Kyprianos, to see to its restoration. Kyprianos, however, refused the Metropolitan’s proposal and went to sleep. Suddenly, in a vision, Agia Marina appeared, telling him that she and her sisters must return to the monastery. The next day, Kyprianos understood what he had to do and the restoration of the monastery began
Just one year later, in 1976, the monastery’s restoration was complete. Then, after pressure from Kyprianos, the icon of St. Marina was transferred to the monastery. Since then, the monastery has been one of the most important pilgrimages in Greece. The miraculous icon and the dozens of miracles performed there have made it famous in the far reaches of Orthodoxy.
The Monastery of Agia Marina in Andros celebrates on July 17th, attracting a huge number of pilgrims from Greece, Cyprus, and abroad.
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