VOLUME A
HOLY CHURCHES
VOLUME Α
HOLY CHURCHES
Church of Agios Spyridon (Saint Spyridon) of the Sacred City of Messolonghi
Welcome address by the Mayor
DDear visitors,
welcome to the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi!
You are in the heart of Western Greece, in the Sacred City of Hellenism, the capital of Aetoloakarnania. Messolonghi, which is known for the Exodus of the Free Besieged, Aetoliko, also referred to as “the small Venice of Greece,” and Oiniades, with its great archaeological monuments and findings, are waiting for you to discover, explore, and uncover their secrets.
In our Municipality, which covers approximately 670 square kilometres, you will find many ancient and modern historical monuments, museums, churches, and monasteries. The area also boasts ancient theatres, castles, and shipsheds, along with stunning natural landscapes such as the famous lagoon, endless beaches, the estuary of the Acheloos River, wetlands with rare fauna, incomparable forests, unique mountain hiking trails, and much more. The tourist guide you hold will help you explore all these attractions.
In the four volumes, you’ll discover all the helpful information you need: a comprehensive tourist guide, an extensive list of local attractions and much more to assist you during your visit.
I am confident that once you become more familiar with our area, it will become a cherished travel destination for you.
I hope you enjoy your visit to the Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi!
Spyridon V. Diamantopoulos
Mayor of the Sacred City of Messolonghi
The Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi, situated in the southern part of the Regional Unit of Aetoloakarnania, is a vast ecological treasure and offers unforgettable travel experiences. It is an enchanting aquatic world next to a legendary city with a rich history that invites visitors to explore it.
The three municipal units Sacred City of Messolonghi, Aetoliko, and Oiniades form a unique entity with the water element as a backdrop. The rivers, Acheloos and Evinos, have played a pivotal role in shaping the municipality’s historical identity since ancient times. The region has numerous archaeological sites, such as Plevron, Calydon, Oiniades, and Alykirna. These sites provide evidence of the fertile land and water resources that early inhabitants used. The remnants of harbours, shipsheds (neosikoi), theatres and markets reflect the remarkable culture that has developed in the region over the years.
In this ancient Aetolian land, there are several sacred sites of significant importance that testify to the historical sequence. Among them are the Byzantine monuments of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) Kremastos and the Episcopal Church of Mastro, along with the post-Byzantine churches of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Finikia and Lesiniotissa, Agios Panteleimonas (Saint Panteleimon) in Stamna and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Aetoliko. Other religious pilgrimages such as the Monastery of Agios Symeon (Ai-Symios), the Monastery of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Eleousa and Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) in Kleisoura have a remarkable story to share with the visitors.
Amidst the ancient towns and monasteries lies a natural landscape of unparalleled beauty, with the lagoon, the largest aquatic ecosystem in Greece, at its heart. This area is home to a diverse range of inhabitants, including people, fish, and birds. It is a natural workplace for fishermen and salt gatherers (alikarioi), a sanctuary for migratory birds, a breeding ground for many fish species and a field of research and observation for nature lovers and photographers. Due to its significance as a habitat, the area has been designated as an National Park, protected by the Ramsar Convention and is part of the Natura 2000 network.
The landscape is adorned with dunes, salt marshes, salt pans, reed beds and the magnificent Louros beach, creating a truly enchanting setting, complemented by traditional fish farms (ivaria), keel-less small boats (gaita), post-framed wooden houses (pelada) and historic islets. Dioni Beach is an ideal destination for
adventure seekers, offering activities like kite surfing.
The nearby Sacred City of Messolonghi is closely linked to the lagoon and has a significant historical connection to the heroic Exodus during the Greek Revolution in 1821. It’s a city with a strong legacy of heroes and served as an inspiration for Lord Byron. The area has many tourist attractions, including the Garden of Heroes, the Xenokrateio Archaeological Museum, the Municipal Art Gallery, the Art and Literature Centre - Museum “DIEXODOS”, the Museum of the Trikoupis Family, and the Residence of Kostis Palamas.
Cycling along the path from the Sacred City of Messolonghi to Tourlida at sunset provides breathtaking scenery that will stay with you forever. You can also experience this picture-perfect beauty on a trip to Aetoliko, a small island in the heart of the lagoon connected to the mainland by two stone-arched bridges.
Where the mind’s journey stops, the taste experience begins as the palate is stimulated by new sensations, particularly with fish. Gilt-head bream, sea bass, eel, European bullhead, and various types of flathead grey mullet, prepared in various ways, salted or grilled, along with the finest Grey Mullet Roe, will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression. This seafood pairs perfectly with the local tsipouro and ouzo, delivering a delightful experience for the soul.
This location is where your senses will awaken, offering a fusion of visual beauty, flavours, and aromas that embody the region’s cultural identity. The traditional festivities include Ai-Symios and Agia-Agathi, which are listed in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Additionally, there are festivities of Agia Paraskevi of Neochori, Agioi Asomatoi of Agios Ilias, and Ai-Giannis of Evinochori that feature armoured men and cavalrymen and along with the captivating melodies of traditional organ players accompanied by the sounds of davul (ntaouli) and zurna (zournas) preserve the customs and traditions of the area.
The Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi boasts a rich cultural heritage and a history of global significance. With its spectacular natural environment, which is home to herons, flamingos, and grey herons, is ready to reveal its secrets.
Upon the lake, the island-studded, where the breeze of May, grown strong with sea-brine, stirs the seashore strewn with seaweed far away, the Fates cast me a little child thrice orphan.
‘Tis there the northwind battles mightily upon the southwind; and the high tide on the low; and far into the main’s abyss the dazzling coral of the sun is sinking.
There stands Varassova, the triple-headed; and from her heights, a lady from her tower, the moon bends o’er the waters lying still. [...]
(Kostis Palamas, “Fatherlands” poem collection)
The entire Municipality of the Sacred City of Messolonghi boasts exceptional pilgrimage sites with a long history and is the starting point for those who wish to fulfil their religious expectations. The area has numerous significant monastic centres, which have played a pivotal role in preserving faith, literature, and culture while contributing to the struggle for national freedom. The religious experience these sites offer, combined with the surrounding natural beauty, provides an opportunity for spiritual exaltation, tranquillity, and devotion that will surely capture the visitor’s admiration.
Some of the most notable religious sights and monuments of particular interest in the municipality include:
BYZANTINE CHURCHES
Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) Kremastos
On a steep slope of Arakynthos, overlooking the lagoon of Aetoliko, is the Cave of Agios Nikolaos, one of Greece’s most remarkable ascetic centres. The name “Kremastos” may have been given due to the steep mountain. Inside, opposite the entrance, a stone iconostasis divides the cave into the chancel and main church. In the middle of the central nave, there is a preserved cistern, which used to collect rainwater from outside through pipes. Further north, about 20m from the big cave, is a smaller one. The superb murals decorating both caves reveal the ties of Aetolia and Akarnania with Cappadocia, Asia Minor, and Constantinople. They date from the 10th to the early 13th centuries.
Episcopal church of Mastro, Agios Ioannis (Saint John) Riganas
In the area of Paracheloitida, on a low hill to the south of the village of Mastro, is the Episcopal Church of Mastro, dedicated to Agios Ioannis “Riganas”. The church was initially built as a three-aisled timber-roofed basilica with an elevated central nave, three semicircular apses and a narthex. The floor plan was a narrow rectangle divided into three naves with successive walls with five arched openings. Of these, three were opened in the middle and had the same width as the pillars between them, while the two opened at the edges were lower and narrower. The monument is a type of church that marks the transition between early Christian basilicas and the
basilicas of the Middle Byzantine period (from the mid-7th to the mid-9th centuries). The church’s mural decoration dates from the 13th century and is best preserved in the conch of the apse. There, the “Platytera” can be seen between two full-length Archangels in imperial robes holding a globe. A kneeling cleric, possibly the dedicator, is barely visible on a smaller scale.
Small fragments of the mosaic floor, decorated with early Christian motifs, are preserved on the floors of the conch and the central nave. | 11
The two churches of Stamna
The ruins of two churches are located on a low hill 4km outside the village of Stamna. The larger church preserves a greater number of features that can be researched, while the smaller one, located about 7.50m south of the first, mainly preserves the 2-metre-high apse.
The larger church preserves almost all of its height up to the roof. It is a single-nave basilica with a semicircular apse. The masonry is plain, with slightly processed stones laid in horizontal layers and occasional bricks interspersed. The decoration is limited to the dentil courses on the west door frame, the arched windows, and the brick crosses embedded in the west and south walls.
It is uncertain whether there were any sculptures or frescoes, while no traces of the floor have been preserved. The church may have been covered with a wooden saddleback roof. The apse and foundations of the smaller church remain intact to this day. The monument was probably a single-nave basilica constructed at the end of the first millennium, probably in the 10th century.
POST - BYZANTINE CHURCHES
Monastery of the Archangels (Taxiarches), Gouria
A short distance from Gouria is the Monastery of the Archangels (Taxiarches), with the Catholicon built in the centre of an enclosed courtyard surrounded by trees. The original structure was a single-nave, barrel-vaulted space with a saddleback roof and a wide semicircular apse to the east. One of the arches bears the date 1679, and above the window, the year 1749. In later times, the church was extended to the west with the addition of a narthex.
The church is extensively decorated and has two layers of frescoes. The first layer likely dates back to the 16th century, and then, probably in the late 18th century, the original paintings were covered, and the church was re-decorated.
Monastery of the Archangels (Taxiarches), Neochori
The Monastery of the Archangels (Taxiarches) is located on Neochori Hill as you leave the village of the
same name and take the road that leads to the River Louros towards the Acheloos estuaries. The Monastery was built as a fortified tower because pirates, who used the nearby Echinades as a base of operations, constantly threatened it.
In the centre of the fortified courtyard is the Catholicon, a church in the complex architectural type that combines a three-aisled basilica on the ground floor with a cross-in-square above with no wall paintings. The Abbot’s quarters (hegoumeneion) have the form of a fortress, with a high rectangular tower, 9 metres high, divided into three storeys. The monastery is listed as the dependency (metochion) of the biggest, richest and most famous Monastery of the Archangels (Taxiarches) of Gouria. The founding date of the Monastery is 1730, according to a preserved inscription, which corresponds to the oral tradition which places the establishment at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1960, the Catholicon was renovated on the initiative of the area’s inhabitants.
Agia Paraskevi (Saint Paraskevi), Stamna
It is the village’s funerary church and has a single nave, a semicircular apse, a saddleback roof, and a wooden ceiling. The frescoes preserved in the chancel and the stone iconostasis, although not preserved in good condition, are the work of a skilled 16th-century artist.
The Dormition of the Virgin Mary (Panagia Pazaritissa), Aetoliko
The church is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary and is Aetoliko’s landmark. It was rebuilt after the earthquakes of 1965 in the form of a three-nave basilica without a dome, with a magnificent high belfry and a reasonably large precinct. The oldest church, a single-nave basilica, was constructed in 1877 and was an extension of a smaller church.
The church gained fame during the years of the Revolution when two national meetings of the representatives of Roumeli were conducted here, and in April 1824, the trial of Georgios Karaiskakis was also held here. The church’s treasures comprise three remarkable pieces of art: the iconostasis, made of fine wood, probably dating from the second half of the 18th century; the Epitaph, a unique treasure of spiritual, archaeological and artistic value; and the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary on the iconostasis, holding with her left hand the blessing Christ.
Agia Paraskevi (Saint Paraskevi), Aetoliko
The Church of Agia Paraskevi is situated on a plain hill in Astrovitsa, west of the village of Aetoliko. It is a cross-vaulted church of type A1 according to Orlandos, and at the junction of the arms of the cross, there is an octagonal high dome with narrow rectangular windows. The inscription embedded in the facade, on the left side of the entrance and slightly higher up, is noteworthy; it states that His Excellency Colonel Giannakis Louderekas, with his brother Alexander and the hieromonk Makarios, were the founders of the church of St Paraskevi in 1698. The church is dedicated to the Monastery of the Virgin Mary called Makria Rachi.
Agios Panteleimonas (Saint Panteleimon), Stamna
The Monastery of Saint Panteleimon is located east of Stamna on one of the westernmost slopes of Mount Arakynthos, overlooking the lagoon of Aetoliko. The small monastery is surrounded by a dense forest of oaks and cypresses. Only the eastern wall with the apse of the Catholicon and the deserted cells on the northern side are preserved.
The church was rebuilt in 1855 on presumably ancient foundations, retaining the original apse. The second church has also recently been renovated. On the outer wall of the church, there is an inscription with some Stamna families’ names and a date, although it is illegible.
The Catholicon is narrow, with a single nave, and has no architectural interest. The arched doors and windows on the northern side are well-preserved, and the cells and the church’s eastern wall were probably constructed at the end of the 18th century. The monastery’s two-arched fountain has been preserved west of the courtyard.
Monastery of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Lesiniotissa, Lesini
The Monastery of Panagia Lesiniotissa is located on a plain in a verdant location southwest of Lesini, where Lake Kynia used to be in ancient times. In earlier times, the site was flooded by marshes, and access to the monastery was limited. For this reason, during the Great Rebellion, communication with the monastery
was achieved by boat through an artificial channel leading to the sea.
The Catholicon underwent many construction phases, with the oldest known building date being 1595, engraved on a stone embedded in the west side. There is a more recent stone inscription on the east side, with the date 1781, referring to the present Catholicon. The church’s interior has a long single nave, divided into the chancel, the central nave and the narthex, and is covered by a saddleback roof. The monastery’s history is closely linked to the 1821 Greek War of Independence, as it was a refuge for rebellious Greeks.
The monastery is celebrated on August 23, with the faithful arriving the night before at the monastery, where they hold a feast.
Panagia (Virgin Mary) Finikia
The small church of Panagia Finikia, built in 1804, is located on an island in the lagoon on the way to Aetoliko, which is connected to the road network by a smooth dirt road. The church, dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, has a plain single nave with a saddleback exterior roof and a wooden interior roof.
There is a five-sided apse to the east, with a small single-arched window in the centre. The pediment of the east wall now indicates where three glazed bowls once stood. The walls are built with slightly processed stones, although many modifications have been made over the years, and cement has been used extensively in recent years.
The small church is occasionally used. According to accounts of the time, it was one of Lord Byron’s favourite destinations for rest and spiritual recuperation during his stay in Greece.
OTHER RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS
Metropolitan Church of Agios Spyridon (Saint Spyridon) of the Sacred City of Messolonghi
The Church of Agios Spyridon is the city’s Metropolis. It was built in 1900 to replace an older church. In the old church, the Messolonghians fraternized and received communion on the sacred day of the Exodus.
It is a cross-domed basilica with two brick belfries on square towers. The church’s iconostasis is magnificent and is divided into three zones; it bears neoclassical decoration, with small columns and floral motifs on the panels of the base; silver-plated Despotic Icons, and the Archangels in the second zone; the icons of the Holy Apostles, the Last Supper, the triangular crown and the cross in the third zone.
The procession begins at Agios Spyridon, the city’s patron saint. It then heads for the Garden of Heroes and passes through the city at the peak of the Exodus celebrations.
Monastery of Agios Symeon (Saint Simeon)
The Monastery of Agios Symeon, or Ai-Symios as the locals call it, is situated in a verdant setting on the slopes of the forested Mount Arakynthos, between the ancient towns of Pleuron, Alikyrna, and Calydon, near the village of Agios Thomas.
The crossed-domed Catholicon built in 1740, was the site of the tragic outcome of the heroic Exodus on April 10, 1826. A large white cross has been erected in memory of the fallen heroes.
The monastery was destroyed after the Turkish army set it ablaze and was rebuilt in 1836 by Archimandrite Ioannikios Angeletos. Pilgrims have traditionally visited the monastery on the Presentation of the Lord (Ypapanti) on February 2, and on the day of Pentecost, it is customary for armoured celebrants to arrive on horseback.
Agia Triada (Holy Trinity), Kleisova
The historic Church of Agia Triada is situated on a small island in the middle of the lagoon. The date of its construction is unknown, but it was renovated in 1846. Its presence is mentioned as early as the middle of the 17th century.
During the Revolution, the church was fortified with
/ Metropolitan Church of Agios Spyridon (Saint Spyridon)
/ Monastery of Agios Symeon (Saint Simeon)
an embankment and four cannons. On 25 March 1826, the 131 courageous defenders of Kleisova repelled the Turkish-Egyptian army that attempted to invade the island. This was the last victorious battle of the besieged, 15 days before the dramatic Exodus, and is now remembered as the Battle of Kleisova.
Agios Sostis (Saint Sostis)
Agios Sostis (Ai - Sostis) is a small island with an extraordinary history located in the western part of the Messolonghi lagoon. In 1860, the inhabitants built a small, austere church dedicated to the patron saint of the lagoon.
The islet has great historical value for the region because in 1770, during the Orlov Revolt, the pirate fleet of Dulcigno defeated the Messolonghi fleet. The Turks made numerous attempts to seize it in order to invade the Messolonghi. In fact, on 4 January 1824, the Messolonghi inhabitants welcomed Lord Byron, who disembarked on the island on his way to Messolonghi. Two years later, a major battle was conducted here between the Turkish army and the Messolonghi fleet led by Admiral Andreas Miaoulis. On the island, there is a lighthouse built in 1859, the abandoned lighthouse keeper’s house and the remains of the old customs house.
Church of the Most Holy Archangels (Taxiarches), Aetoliko
The church, initially built in 1610, was the parish church and patron of Aetoliko. Its history starts in the revolutionary years, especially in 1823, when the Turks besieged Aetoliko.
The present cross-domed church is known for its 18th-century wood-carved iconostasis. The grave of Kyra-Vasiliki, the wife of Ali Pasha of Ioannina, is located in the precinct of the Taxiarches church. According to tradition, in 1823, during the siege of Aetoliko by the Turks, a cannonball fell in the middle of the church, and water gushed out from the hole, a much-needed resource for the besieged people.
The small church of Agia Paraskevi (Saint Paraskevi)
The small church dedicated to Agia Paraskevi, located outside the Garden of Heroes, is the historic church where, in April 1826, the Temporary Governing Committee of the Struggle of Messolonghi, consisting of chieftains, politicians and captains of the region, decided on the Exodus.
They even agreed that the Exodus should take place on Saturday, 10 April 1826, at 2 a.m., according to a plan proposed by Joseph (Bishop) of Rogon to N. Kasomoulis and signed by all the Messolonghians.
The Chapel of Agios Ioannis (Saint John), Gouria
The chapel is a plain basilica built in the post-revolutionary years. Perched on the top of a hill between Acheloos and the Aetoliko Channel, it offers an exceptional view of the surrounding lowlands (Acheloos, Paracheloitida, Oiniades).
According to Constans, the chapel was built on the site of an ancient “tower”, which served as a temporary shelter for the area’s inhabitants in case of a sudden invasion by the hostile Acarnania.
Monastery of Panagia Eleousa (Virgin Mary the Meriful), Kleisoura
The Virgin Mary of the Life-Giving Spring (Zoodochos Pigi), widely known as Agia Eleousa, is located in the gorge of Kleisoura, one of the most exquisite locations in the prefecture of Aitoloakarnania.
The monastery “clings” to the rocks of Mount Arakynthos at a height of 150 metres and seems to float, resembling a Meteora monastery. It comprises the cells, the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the Holy Church of the Life-Giving Spring, where the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary is kept.
The monastery’s establishment is unknown, but an ecclesiastical document from the Metropolitan of Nafpaktos, Ioannis Apokaukos, to Georgios Tzimiskes, who was in charge of its administration, indicates that it was Byzantine, as it is dated between 1229 and 1230.
The monastery is celebrated on the Day of the Life-Giving Spring (Zoodochos Pigi) because there is a spring in the monastery church, where people suffering from illnesses used to descend. Today, the descent is no longer permitted. Equally imposing is the 16-metre-high cross on the hill, visible from afar. In addition, the Metropolitan of Aetolia and Acarnania, the late Theoklitos, is buried here.
Agios Georgios (Saint George), Evinochori
The church of Agios Georgios is now the funerary church of the village of Agios Georgios, next to Evinochori. It was first built in the early Christian period as a three-aisled, timber-roofed basilica, and it underwent major repairs in the middle Byzantine period (early 10th to early 11th centuries).
In the only preserved depiction of the enthroned Virgin Mary, only the Archangels Gabriel and Michael can be identified, and there are two faces on either side of the Virgin Mary, of which only St George is recognisable. The iconography of the chancel’s apse dates back to the time of the Despotate of Epirus.
During the Ottoman occupation, the church was limited to the central nave, and a tiled wooden roof was installed. During the same period, stone slabs were laid on the floor, and the area was enclosed by the cemetery.
Agia Paraskevi (Saint Paraskevi), Neochori
The small church, built before the Revolution, was destroyed by the Turks during the Struggle but was rebuilt in 1850 on the initiative of the residents of
/ Agia Paraskevi (Saint Paraskevi), Neochori
Neochori in the exact location as the previous one. It is located east of Mount Skopas in the “Portes” area and 8km from Neochori.
In 1870, the Galanis brothers discovered the only preserved icon from the church at the old site and decided to restore it. Agia Paraskevi is celebrated on July 26 in a festive atmosphere to the sounds of zurna and davul. In fact, groups of armoured and men on horseback have participated in the festivities since 1900. The celebrations last for three days, from the evening before to the day after the celebration of Agia Paraskevi.
VOLUME A: HOLY CHURCHES
MAVROGONATOU
TZANOPOULOU
| Cover design - Layout - Artistic editing
| VICKY BORA
