Famous in Evia and Panhellenic is the Holy Monastery of Saint David the Elder. Especially, after the end of the terrestrial journey of its charismatic abbot for many years, elder Jacob (Tsalikis), whose tomb is today outside the monastery's Katholikon.
It is located in the heart of a beautiful lush area in the region of Rovies in northern Euboea and is dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Savior.
Saint David the Evian who built the monastery was abbot of the Holy Monastery of Panagia Varnakova (1520-1532) and then went to Northern Evia, in Rovies. He founded his famous monastery, named after him since 1540, on the ruins of a pre-existing temple which was destroyed by the Turks after the conquest of Evia in 1470.
He was one of the enlightened teachers of the Genus, who offered much to the education of the enslaved Greeks and at the same time a great saint of the Orthodox Church, to whom numerous miracles are imputed. The fragrant relics of the Saint are kept in the katholikon (major temple) of the monastery, as well as his incense burner and his stole.
The monastery, during the Byzantine years, was honored with imperial titles, which unfortunately were destroyed during the burning of the monastery in 1824 by the Turks, as revenge for the participation of its monks in the rebellion of 1821. It was reconstructed in 1877. In the basement there is a small temple of Agioi (Saints) Anargiroi with 17th-century visual hagiographies.
At a distance of a kilometer north of the monastery lies Agioneri. By tradition, Saint David struck the rock with his stick and poured plenty of healing water. Moreover, within 20 minutes' walk, south of the monastery, there is the hermitage of Saint David, a small cave on a rock, with the chapel of Saint Charalambos.
Elder James
The monastery witnessed days of glory and development during the reign of the late Archimandrite Jacob Tsalikis (1975-1991), who left a fame and memory of a saint man.
The late Elder James lived forty years in the Holy Monastery of Saint David. He imitated Saint David, and walked in his tracks. His ascetic struggles were similar to the old Saints’. The more the tribulations, illnesses and sufferings grew, the more God gifted him with rare spiritual gifts and the greater his glow became.
In the monastery, hundreds of ordinary people, as well as patriarchs and archbishops, clergymen of every rank and monks, political rulers and supreme judges, university professors and scientists, came to see him and ask for his advice.
The relics of many saints are kept in the monastery. The monastery houses 13 monks and celebrates at the Transfiguration of the Lord (8/6) and Saint David (11/1).
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