Religious trip to Mani

One of the most special areas of Greece, the arid land of Mani creates together with the characteristic tower-houses a wild, but totally unique landscape. Hundreds of churches are scattered all over the area. They are characterized by their austere architecture and the rich painting and sculpture decoration.

Near the small village of Fragoulia or Fragoulianika, on the street Areopolis-Gerolimenas, at a distance of approximately 6 km from the cave of Diros, is the monastery of Faneromeni, dedicated to Virgin Mary.

At one of the most tourist areas of Mani, at Pyrgos Dirou, at the settlement of Glezos, is the Byzantine church of the Taxiarches.

It dates from the second half of the 11th century and belongs to the type of two-columned, cross-in-square church. Its walls are built with the usual cloisonné system of masonry used in the Middle Byzantine period.

There are glazed tiles in some parts, while in later time, during interventions and additions, they walled-in marble sculptures from the Middle Byzantine period. The octagonal dome is of the “Athenian type” with limestone columns on the corners.

An impressive monument not only for Areopolis  but for the whole Mani is the beautiful metropolitan church of Taxiarches, a built by the family of Mavromichalis, which dominates at the centre of the city, at the historical square of the 17th of March 1821.

Here on this day, the notables of Mani under the leadership of Petrobey Mavromichalis declared the revolution after church service, starting the struggle against the Ottoman conquerors.

At Pyrgos Dirou, at one of the most well-known locations of Mani, over the Glezos settlement, is the church of Agios Petros (St Peter)

The church dates from the beginning of the 11th century and belongs to the type of free cross with a dome. In the first half of the 13th century the upper part of the church was repaired, while the bell tower which stands on its western side is constructed at a later dateυ. Its walls on their lower part are built with stones and marble rocks, while on the upper part the usual cloisonné system of masonry is used.

At a rocky inclination, opposite the promontory Tigani and close to the village of Stavri, is one of the most important Byzantine monuments of Mani, the church of Episkopi, dedicated probably to Agios Georgios initially, and to Virgin Mary nowadays.

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