The small monastery of Agios Ioannis Prodromos is built on the pebbly beach to the west of Meganisi. It may not have great murals or special architectural features to show off, but it has a lot of history. Without being fully confirmed, tradition says that it was founded before 1477. It is said that it was destroyed by pirates who threw the image of the Saint into the sea which was pulled up in a fisherman’s net. In 1800 the monk Ioannis Patrikis, from a rich family and very beloved both in Ithaca and in Meganisi who visited it often, sent a nun to rebuild it. It is said that this nun, with her helper Vassilis Politis from Meganisi, preached constantly to achieve her goal, she even went as far as the Tsar of Russia to collect the necessary funds. In the end he succeeded. The monastery was rebuilt and the nun stayed there until her death. Her tomb is located between the foundations of the old and new walls of the sanctuary.
