Originally established in Byzantine times, the convent was restored in 1579 when three spiritual sisters purchased the land where the chapel of the Apostle once stood and converted it into a convent. New life was again breathed into the establishment with the arrival in 1639 of a young Greek-Romanian princess who when taking the veil, brought with her a sizeable fortune, as well as religious treasures from Mount Athos. Among these was the holy remains of St. Andrew’s foot, in which one can discern the hole made from the saint’s crusifixion.
Today, the convent houses a Byzantine Ecclesiastical Museum with religious art and treasures dating from 1300-1900 AD. Twice a year the convent hosts a celebration open to all visitors–on the Friday following Easter and on the 30th of November which is St. Andrew’s feast day.
