The Monastery of the Forty Great Martyrs has been built in an area characterized by rare natural beauty.
At a distance of 15 minutes north-east from the new Monastery is the old Monastery, built in a natural ravine next to the calm waters of the Sofroni stream.
The monastic complex is an entire monastic state with cells for the Monks, the Church (the Catholic), storehouses for food, the Monks' Dining Room and other monastic spaces.
According to the founding inscription, which is preserved inside the cave Church of the old monastery, the Monastery seems to have been built in the year 1305 during the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos the elder (1283-1328)
The Temple (the Katholikon of the old monastery or paleomonastiron) is, as we said, cavernous, that is, a natural cave has been transformed into a Temple. In the depth of the cave is placed the Holy Altar, while all the surfaces are painted by the great Lacedaemonian iconographer Konstantinos Manassis, as mentions a relevant extant inscription.
The set of frescoes is remarkable, the subject matter extensive and the colors rich, warm and overwhelming. The Martyrdom of the Forty Saints stands out for its rare expressiveness.
It is probable that the old Monastery was probably built to accommodate a pre-existing monastic brotherhood.
The only access the Old Monastery had to the outside world was a path heading west.
Little by little, the area where the monastic estates, vineyards, olive groves, etc., as well as the animal stable were located, initially became the Metohi of the Old Monastery and then ended up becoming the new Monastery, which replaced the Old one.
In addition to some old buildings, newer buildings have also been added.
Of interest is the old refectory of the new monastery, which was painted with hagiographies. Also the fokos (focus: estia) or fotanamma, a circular building with a huge fireplace in the middle, where the monks sat on the built seats touching the walls and warmed up in rotation. The seal of Saint Saranda is a rare case and this fact is also highlighted in the relevant literature.
Finally, on the south side of the Monastery, specifically at the eastern end of the wing, there was a four-story tower equipped with portholes (probably sluices, from where hot oil was poured on the raiders) and watchtowers. Today, three of the four floors are preserved, of which the third has been converted into a Museum of the Monastery.
The Catholic Church of the new Monastery, a magnificent building of the post-Byzantine period that was finished in 1620, is cruciform with a dome. The masonry of the Temple is of interest, for the construction of which pieces of slabs from other Temples, marbles from buildings of classical antiquity as well as marble slabs with inscriptions or others with relief decorations were built into the external walls of the Catholic Church.
The frescoes of the Church are a miracle of Byzantine painting and reach the limits of high art. According to the founding inscription of the catholicon, the hagiographies were executed by the famous Nafplion hagiographer Georgios Moschos. The visitor is impressed by the multitude of subjects, the richness of the colors, the deep expression but also the grace in the posture and movement of the depicted saints and finally the balance and harmony of the multifaceted compositions. Impressive is the wood-carved iconostasis and also the wood-carved High Priest's throne with the wonderful decorative themes and the obvious influences of the Baroque style in some places.
Near the Catholic Church of the Monastery is the chapel of Zoodochos Pigi (Our Lady of Chrysopigi), built in 1707, and outside the Monastery's enclosure, at a distance of about 300 meters, is the cemetery Church, dedicated to All Saints.
Valuable sacred relics are preserved in the Monastery, such as wood-carved crosses, holy chalices, silver reliquaries with embossed decorations, vestments, evangelists, candlesticks, silver discs, handwritten synaxarists, ancient icons and a marble pool, where the Great Epiphany was celebrated.
Also of great interest is the Library of the Monastery, which has numerous manuscript codices.
The contribution of the Monastery to the Liberation struggle of the Nation during the renaissance of 1821 was great and invaluable.
The monastery celebrates on March 9th, the feast of the Forty Great Martyrs and receives crowds of pilgrims.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou