The exact date of the foundation of our monastery is unknown. Its tradition
dates back to the early 12th century when Emmanuel Komnenos was Emperor of
Byzantium. This first monastery, which was in the same location as today, was
destroyed in 1460 after the occupation of the area by the Turks. The monastery acquired
its present form in 1724 when the monk Simeon from the neighboring village of
Agridi Kalavrita proceeded to a radical renovation as the inscription in our main church tells us.
During the Ottoman domination, he acquired significant property in the
wider region of Achaia and in Ilia. Monasteries of the Monastery existed in
Kertezi of Kalavryta, Ano Klitoria of Kalavryta, Chalandritsa of Achaia,
Gastouni of Ilia in Amaliada and elsewhere. The monastery’s offer was great
during the Revolution of 1821, since it was a meeting place for the organisations
supporting the revolution and lords of the region, but also a refuge for the
fighters persecuted by the Turks. In the archives of the Monastery on can find a
number of letters of famous Revolution fighters who thank it for its help, such
as: Theodoros Kolokotronis, Panagiotis Fotillas, Vassilios Petmezas, Benizelos
Roufos, Grigorios Dikaios, Sotiris Theoharopoulous and others. In 1846 King
Othon made sure to honor some of the members of the Brotherhood of the
Monastery with the “Copper Metal of Excellence” for their
contribution to the liberation struggle of 1821.
After World War II, the human resources of the
monastery were significantly reduced. In 1973, after the assassination of its Abbot
and his underling by robbers, the Monastery was closed for a while. It was
reopened by the monk Nikodimos Papagiannopoulos and in 1982 after his death it
was closed again. In 1984 the Monastery facilitated a female brotherhood of six
nuns, with Abbot of Kalliniki Andrikopoulou from Patras. The female brotherhood
left the Monastery for another retreat (1992) and the monastery remained
uninhabited until October 1993, when the monastery was again converted into a
manly monastic brotherhood with the arrival of the holy monk of Mount Athos,
George Marangos, who worked tirelessly to support it until his death in 18th
August 2011. After the death of Father George the Holy Monastery remained
closed. On June 25, 2012, a group of nuns, who are spiritual children of Aedes
Father Ioannis Droggitis, Ephimerius of the Holy Church of Agios Dimitrios
Plaka in Athens settlled in the Monastery.
Main Church (Catholikon) and chapels of the Monastery
Inside the monastery there are two temples. The largest one, which is also the monastery’s main church, is dedicated to Saints Theodoros Tiron and Commander (Stratalatis). It is a Byzantine-style temple with an elaborate wood-carved altarpiece on the left side of which there is the miraculous icon of the Saints’ work of 1769. The iconography is the work of Priest Constantine from Ioannina and was made between 1743 and 1746 according to a relevant inscription.
The second temple, which also functioned as a “hidden school” during the Ottoman rule, is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and its frescoes of 1732 made by hagiographer Efstathios from Nezera of Achaia. The fresco of the Crucifixion, which portrays one of the two robbers with a halo, is particularly impressive. Another small temple is located in the monastery’s cemetery and is dedicated to the Holy Saints.
Holy relics
The most treasured treasures of the Monastery are the seven cases of Holy Relics of Ag. Theodore and 21 other Saints of our Church, St. Panteleimon, St. Ioannis Chrysostomos, St. Efthimios, St. Anargyroi, Ag. Minas et al.
Treasures of the Monastery
There majority of the Monastery’s relics are kept in the Penteli Monastery in Attica and the Museum of Metropolis of Kalavryta and Aegiali in Aegio. In the Monastery there are: 1) a gospel of the 9th century with a silver cover, 2) some Church books of great age, 3) two icons of Ag. Theodoros and Holy Theotokos. The first icon dates back to 1769 and presents the Saints with military uniforms. The creation date of the second is unknown and depicts 24 houses (scenes of her life) of the Holy Theotokos around her.