Information about the Monastery of Mirtiotissa.      
    
 

Up to date no one knows the precise date of foundation of the Monastery.
The only elements that we can find are the manuscripts of father Amvrosios Paktitis,
who served the Monastery from the 1892 until the 1956, initially as a monk and after as an abbot of the Monastery.
Father Amvrosios used to write his impressions, thoughts and memories in manuscripts. These manuscripts were found after years and after being maintained they were published in a book titled “CHRONICAL MEMORANDUM” (CHRONIKA SIMIOMATA).
From this book we drew the information you will read below for the history of Monastery, in two parts.

Part One:
“Narration of how the holy monastery of Myrtiotissa was built and who was its founder:
The blessed monastery of Virgin Mary of Myrtidiotissa was initially built as a small church in the year ???? by a monk named "Daniel Kaggelaris", who was coming from the kingdom of Persia and was the one and only son of the king Alibey, ottoman in his faith.
Then, by divine inspiration, father Daniel decide to become baptized Christian orthodox.
This was happened in the church of Saint George of Romans in the city of Venetians in the year ???? and at 26 of October he receive the name Dimitrios.
After he spent some time in the city of the Venetians and with the help of the orthodox community he came in the city of Kallipolis to take monastic vows in the monastery of Blessed Mary.
After he lived in that monastery for some time he became first lay brother, and after priest-monk and he received the name Daniel.
When father Daniel learned about the relics of the Saint Spiridon, the patron saint of the island of Corfu, he decided to visit the island of Corfu and ask for the blessing of the fathers of the holy monastery.
In the year ???? on 23 of April he arrived in Corfu and he was directed to the holy church of Saint Spiridon… ”

Part Two:
“24 June Corfu. Father Daniel was in the church of Saint Vlasios and one night he saw a vision, an angel ordering him: “go to the mountain of Trialos in the area named Kondrakas, there you will find a cave. Inside that cave you will find a stone with the shape of a dove and a cross. There you will also find the icon of Virgin Mary and in that place you will build a church dedicated to Virgin Mary”.
When father Daniel woke up he thought that it was just a ghost.
Few days later as he was finishing a prayer he heard a strong noise, the doors of the church opened and he saw that angel in front of him and the angel said “you should hurry and do what I ordered you to”.
The next day father Daniel rode his mule and directed himself to the village of Vatos.
He asked the locals for the road to Trialos so he started climbing up the mountain. when he reached a place called “Alonaki” he saw some locals cleaning the wheat and asked them the direction to the area of “Kondrakas”.
Finally he entered the forest of the myrtles and after some search he found the entrance of the cave. As he entered the cave he found the cross and the dove shaped stone.
All these were found written on a simple piece of paper and still remains unknown to me who was the writer or the date they were written.
1913/06/02 Amvosios Paktitis.”