Kato Panagia Monastery

Kato Panagia Monastery

Μονή Κάτω Παναγιάς
Monastery information
Other names	Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery
Established	1250
Dedicated to	Nativity of the Theotokos
Celebration date	September 8
Diocese	Metropolis of Arta
Site
Location	Peranthi hill, Arta
Country	Greece
Coordinates	39°8′41″N 20°59′23″E

The Kato Panagia Monastery (Greek: Μονή Κάτω Παναγιάς) is a monastery a built at the foot of Peranthi hill, about 20 minutes west of Arta, in an idyllic location next to the river Arachthos.

History

It was founded in 1250 by the despot of Epirus Michael II Doukas and his wife, later saint, Theodora (holiday 11 March). Its foundation coincides with the period when the Despotate of Epirus was flourishing.

The name Kato Panagia was given to the monastery to distinguish it from Parigoritissa, which is built on a higher level than the monastery. It is one of the three monasteries that Michael built as a sign of his sincere repentance (as the biographer of Saint Theodora Job monk (17th century) informs us for the marital infidelity in which he fell with an Artine noblewoman, Gangrini, from which even had two illegitimate sons. The other two monasteries are of Panagia toni Vlacherna, in the homonymous village of Vlacherna, and of Agios Georgios, where the current church of Saint Theodora is located in the city of Arta Theodora lived as a nun for the last 10 years of her life until her death in 1280, when the monastery was renamed the monastery of Saint Theodora.

The ledger

From the original building complex, only the Catholic church, with its amazing cross-roofed architecture, with ceramic ornate decoration and built-in marble volumes taken from the ruins of the neighboring Amvrakia, is preserved, on the western exterior of which there is a clearly visible monogram of Michael Doukas, despot of Epirus during the years 1237 - 1270. The church is frescoed in various periods with the most ancient one being that of the deacon which is said to be contemporary with its construction, i.e. the middle of the 13th century. As for the cells and the other auxiliary buildings, they are later.

Modern history

Until 1953, the monastery was a men's monastery, when it was converted into a women's monastery when the later Archbishop of Athens Seraphim (Tikas) was Metropolitan of Arta. The first Abbess of the Monastery was the blessed nun of continental origin (Metsovo) Gerontissa Agni Papadimitriou, thanks to whom the Monastery found life again and acquired the form we see today. The monastery continues and functions as a women's monastery with the monks' main occupation being weaving. It is also worth mentioning the temple of Saint Neomartyr Zacharias of Arta, which was built from the ground up by Gerontissa Agni in an area outside the monastery enclosure. In this church is kept the original icon of the Saint, who was martyred in Patras.