Religious faith existed and remains one of the basic characteristics of the residents of Naxos Island. There are very many churches (mostly Byzantine), monasteries and innumerable small chapels – all indicators of the residents’ devoutness.

Quite a number of the churches were built on the site of ancient temples. Like several other areas within Greece, the tendency can be discerned for abstract embellishment (i.e., focus on essence of form rather than on the figure], while on more recent murals, an intense local character is discernible.

The number of frescoed monuments found on Naxos is very large, and correspondingly surpasses those monuments found on the remaining islands of the Cyclades. Indeed, in terms of “density” of memorials, only the area of Mani can be considered comparable.

The long-term presence of the Venetians on the island cannot pass unnoticed. An important category of Naxian monuments is the tower-type complexes, which often contain within them churches and monasteries.

The buildings of the Venetians attest to the influence of Italian culture, albeit with significant local elements. The order of monks, who marked their presence on the island after the 13th century, played a special role in the creation and maintenance of Catholic temples.

During your stay on Naxos, be sure not to miss some of the most important churches of the island, like Panagia Filotitissa, Fotodoti Christou Monastery, Faneromenis Monastery, the Tower of Ypsiloteras, Panagia Apiranthitissa, Panagia Protothronos, Timiou Stavrou Monastery, and the Roman Catholic Cathedral. Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the frescoes of various churches on Naxos were exhibited in the past at the National Art Gallery under the auspices of the International Council of Byzantine Studies.