Lesser monasteries of West Menalon
The monasteries of Mt Menalon
Lesser monasteries of West Menalon
Both in the Mantinean plain and - and above all - in Gortynia, there are several small monastic complexes, which flourished for a time only to decline and to be abandoned, when conditions changed. Some of the best known are the small monasteries of Panagia and Agios Nikolaos in Valtesiniko and the hermitage of Analipsi in Kamenitsa.
Valtesiniko: The katholikon of Panagias monastery (left)
and the monastery of Agios Nikolaos (right)
The monastery of Panagia near Valtesiniko was built in the beginning of the 17th c. in a nice location where there used to be a church of Panagia (built probably in 1625). The katholicon has undergone several renovations on the exterior faces that have altered its original form, inside however remarkable frescoes are preserved. It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin and is known as "Panagia Valtesiniotissa". The monastery was alive until 1833, when it was dissolved. It was re-established in 1955 and run by a female community.
The monastery of Agios Nikolaos is built under a large rockshelter, closed with a stone wall. Inside the walled area there are two chapels, dedicated to Agios Nikolaos and the Analipsis (=Ascension).
Another interesting monument is the hermitage of Analipsi, built in a cave, on an inaccessible rock, near Kamenitsa. The cave-church is accessed by a dirt road from Kamenitsa and then by steps.
Text and photos by T. Adamakopoulos
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