The monastery of Taxiarches in Serifos resembles a medieval castle with crenellations, a scalding bowl and tall walls which protected it from attacks of various besiegers.
At the top of the staircase on the west there is the only entrance: in order to enter from the short little door made of thick wood, you have to bend in half! Then, you are at the courtyard. The austere lines and the plasticity of the building blocks give off a sense of calmness.
The church that stands in the middle of the courtyard is dedicated to Archangels Gabriel and Michael and it is surrounded by cells. According to its Code, the monastery was founded in 1570-72 and from the beginning it managed the estates of the island’s Venetian rulers and the wealth of the monastery of Panagia. During the Turkish rule it numbered 100 monks. Today, notable relics, the gold inlaid iconostasis, as well as the library of 1909 are preserved. Few of the churche’s murals have been preserved.
