At the foot of Gerania, on a pine-covered slope stands the Holy Monastery of Agios Ioannis Prodromos Makrinos at a height of two hundred meters. The monastery belongs ecclesiastically to the Holy Metropolis of Megara and Salamina. The name "Makrinos" (in english means "distant") is said to have been given to the Monastery as opposed to the other temples of St. John, near the Megara. We already have this name since 1754, in a handwritten dedication of a Gospel.
The history of the monastery is lost in the depths of the ages. But the longstanding devotion of the Megarian people towards St. John has saved legends and traditions for its foundation. The history of the Holy Monastery is not verified by written testimonies or other historical sources, as the archive of the old monastery along with all its buildings and treasures was lost after a powerful earthquake.
