The area of Paracandia, as the Venetians called the area around Candia, current city of Heraklion, hosted some important monasteries and hermitages, some of which were built around the small range of Jiouktas.
![Saint Anthony church at Karkadiotissa](/media/k2/items/cache/82455786f905c716d81f3539deb70f7b_M.jpg)
Between Karkadiotissa and the monastery of Saint George Epanosifis, on the main road, we meet the old monastery of Saint Anthony (Agios Antonios), which now does not operate. The monastery that 0operated during the Venetian Era is a dependency of the monastery Epanosifis and is built at the point where small waterfalls are formed in winter.
![Church of Saint Paraskevi at Siva](/media/k2/items/cache/b9cabb3d8533c1d7e4cfeb16158613fa_M.jpg)
The Byzantine church of Agia Paraskevi at village Siva is a small single-nave church with a dome. Remarkable are the frescoes dating from the early 14th century, and there are parts of wall paintings of older periods.
![Church of All Saints at Aorakia](/media/k2/items/cache/318e82d7e78de758516c4d47d1485980_M.jpg)
Atop Aorakia hill we meet the Church of All Saints. It was built in the Venetian Era (before 1669) and bears traces of frescoes.
![Kira Eleousa church at Spilia](/media/k2/items/cache/7c1360ba6521f8ae8b74fcf4888a7845_M.jpg)
Kyra Eleousa is located amidst of a green and fertile slope. The temple courtyard hosts a well with spring water that never dries up. According to tradition Kyra Eleousa Spilia served as a small monastery till the Ottoman Era. It is true that in the last years of the Venetian era, the suburbs of Heraklion (Candia) on the so-called area of Parakandia housed about 40 active monasteries.
![Church of Saint Paraskevi at Sellopoulo](/media/k2/items/cache/9b299f7dbd2b96202ef61cdbe6bdce1f_M.jpg)
In the middle of the road that connects Kallithea to Knossos, we meet the deserted hamlet of Sellopoulo, on the bank of Keratos river, known to archaeologists due to the domed tomb found here. Below and next to the road we see the single-aisled church of Agia Paraskevi, bearing damaged frescoes dating from the Venetian era.
![Saint John church at Karteros](/media/k2/items/cache/fa4ef59c4480a8d32eae5fc31771f1b0_M.jpg)
Next to the beach of Florida, Karteros bay, we meet the cavernous chapel of St. John the Baptist (celebr. August 29) and Saint Nikon the Metanoite (Repent) (celebr. November 26). There are impressive modem frescoes by the Saints of Crete, drawn by Takis Moshos from Monembasia.
![Saint John the Theologian church at Paliani](/media/k2/items/cache/8724bd01bfa4ee4c1e9d9c90c869b514_M.jpg)
Outside the walls of Paliani Monastery in Venerato there is the cemeterial church of Saint John the Theologian (John the Apostle). The single-nave arched-roofed church was frescoed in the middle of the 14th century by the painter Georgios.
![Church of Saint Paraskevi at Archanes](/media/k2/items/cache/e940813209824724d3e40e5f00b432c4_M.jpg)
The church of Agia Paraskevi is located next to a green ravine, at a site that overlooks the south side of Arhanes town. What makes this church very important, are the few but very important frescoes preserved on its walls dating back from the medieval age.