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Memorial Holy Cross Monastery (Doliana)

The temple of the Holy Cross is located 1.5 km from the village Doliana and 2 km from the community Krania Aspropotamos.
The area of ​​Kranias and generally Pindos by Aspropotamos as the Samarina and Metsovo in Trikala region is Koutsovlachikon villages where older residents still speak the Vlach language. The data relating to the history of the church are minimal, and those that are constituting the history of the monument from the 19th century. onwards.

First written mention of the monument are two documents of 1839 (firman) and 1841 (Worldwide), relating to renovation and rebuilding of the temple. The Temple of the Cross, was part of the monastery of 1770 (the oral tradition dating to 1630), which is recorded as the monastery of Agios Nikolaos and now the locals call it the Holy Monastery Zone. This part of the monastery of the same monastery was even a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas, who were nearby. Of these three institutions which are dependencies of the Monastery of St. Stephen's Meteora, survives intact only the church of the Cross while the other two as well as other monuments in the surrounding villages were destroyed in 1943 by a severe attack of the Germans.

The Temple of the Cross is characterized by the peculiar architecture. It consists of a domed and polykoncho nave and the narthex demolished today. The nave has a basilica plan with three semicircular arches on the east side and three arches, each long side of which is sized dance floor. The temple is covered with slate roof, above which rise 12 domes and trouliskoi built. Inside the sanctuary is shaped synthronon and episcopal throne.

The church's interior is not covered with masonry and thus without paintings, thus highlighting the stone character. The founder of the church, according to an inscription on stone reliefs is Gianousios Gkougkouzis the village Ventista (current Amaranth) Aspropotamos.

Round Lake Plastiras

Lake Tavropos, later Lake Plastiras, located at an altitude of 750 meters, with an area of ​​25,000 acres along 14 km, width of 4 km and a depth of 65 meters. And the dam has a height of 83 meters and a length of 220 meters. A unique destination, full of greenery and immersed in the refreshing water element. A real gem for the whole of Thessaly.

Check out to know the Western edge of the plain of Thessaly, Karditsa beautiful namely Lake. Moving from hut Pezoulas (village-to-node tinefkoloteri lake access), Neohori Belokomiti, we are one of the most beautiful trails Round Lake Plastiras reach the dam Tavropos. (Is an arched structure with a length of 200 meters and a height of 83 meters).

After admire this impressive building we continue our stroll on the beach destination Lambero ideal spot to enjoy the view of Lake and indescribable peaks combined with good food or coffee.

The Theopetra, is found west of Highway Ioannina-Trikala perched on a rocky hill, the first series of the geological phenomenon Meteoritikon rock.
In the NE a rocky limestone volume in "Muti" is the Cave of Theopetra.
It lies about 4 km from Kalambaka and has an arched entrance, measuring 17 x 3 m approx.

The interior consists of a main hall 500 m some with small niches in the region. The formation of limestone rock Theopetra placed in the upper Cretaceous Period (137,000,000 to 65,000,000 years from now). The creation of the cave is thus later than the above age.
The cave was inhabited during the Middle Paleolithic Period (beginning about 130,000 years ago). This cave is the first excavated in Thessaly and the only so far in Greece with continuous anthropogenic layers ranging from the Middle Stone Age and up to the end of the Neolithic (3000 BC).

The importance of chronological continuity lies in the fact that for the first time in Greece we see the transition from Palaiolithiko the Neolithic lifestyle. Among other things, the cave Palaeolithic stone tools found - Mesolithic and Neolithic Age, Neolithic pottery finds, bone tools, shell jewelry, unique for the Greek gold jewelry of the Palaeolithic, the Mesolithic and Neolithic period, and the famous human footprints of Theopetra dating to 130,000 years ago and are now rare finding not only for Greece but also for Europe.

We also detected traces of fire in open hearths and unformatted close to them also found pieces of burnt clay from spreading wall or roof within which observed footprints reeds and wood. The reason I survived all this is to fire the hardened and are regarded as representatives of the architecture of the Neolithic era.
Both identified and bones in particular animals, such as cow, pig, sheep, deer, dog, etc. but just human. The presence of flint tools from the end of the Upper Paleolithic era as the original stones, which are processed to manufacture tools and shows the existence of the laboratory building these tools. The analysis of the affected fruit were shown to originate from wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc. but also pear, grapevine, apple and various wild grasses to which supplement or food or used for other purposes.
Quite interesting are the small stylized masses uncooked clay identified as the first efforts of the man who lived in the cave in the Middle Paleolithic era to format the clay. Analyses and specialized research tools led to the conclusion that a creature of the last Neanderthals that people communicate and the type of Homo Sapiens, which covers the next two periods of occupation of the cave of Theopetra.
The excavation started in 1987 by archaeologist Catherine Kyparissis-Dispatch and continued until 2005 when he began the works for the restoration and enhancement of the cave with the establishment of a corridor which serves visitors and People with Disabilities. Currently projects have been completed and the cave is open to visitors.

Kastraki has an old and rich history. Still preserved many traditions, among which stands out climbing with rope in the church of St. - George's Mandila, which is (unfortunately accessible only to skilled climbers) in the ruins of the monastery of Ag. Mandila George.
According to an old custom the Kastraki, the day of the feast of the saint, with the end use, the village youths hanging colorful scarves and lit candles at the Monastery.
The scarves are left until the next feast of St and are wishes for good health.
The foundation of the monastery of Ag. Mandila placed George in the 14th century. accordance with the few data available, which belong to the tradition, because the monastery has not yet been studied scientifically.
This custom was instituted by the following incident, which testifies to the faith of our people in the miraculous power of St. George.
At the foot of the rock, where lies the monastery of St. George, during the years of Ottoman rule stretched a dense forest. In this forest was banned cutting of trees, which applied to the conquerors. But a soldier of the Turkish garrison of Kastraki and one day began to cut a tree, fell down unconscious, as if dead.
The Turkish commander of the village, thinking that someone "gkiaouris" killed him, ordered and collected in the village square. And threatened to retaliate hard, unless they delivered the killer soldier.
At that moment we heard from the monastery a loud voice, saying that no one killed the soldier, but was punished St George. It was good but if it offered something the Turks in the saint. And immediately his wife aga gave his handkerchief veil of.
Then someone Kastraki raised the handkerchief to the monastery, the abbot and just hung it in the image of the saint, Turkish rose katageros. And then prevailed every time new kerchief hanging in this monastery.

The first monastic community with primary organization was the Cloister of Doupiani or drop that was founded by the monk Nile. Centered on the Temple cult of the Virgin Mary, was the "Lord" of the cloister. The church is located just below the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapafsas. The monks who lived isolated from the rest of the week in surrounding rocks and prayed and lay awake, alone, began to gather every Sunday to celebrate the Liturgy and worship their God in the temple of Doupiani. The only building that survives today is the Temple. But it was the first impetus for the flourishing of monasticism in Meteora. The safety and isolation brought on the rocks, so many monks in the region were established over the centuries twenty-four Monasteries experienced peak. Many of them deserted and went out, just some old papers rescued us make known the Visitation Monastery, which is currently uninhabited, belonging to the Monastery of the Great Meteoro. Founders of the monastery is the monk Nilus in the year 1367 AD and the monk Cyprian. Today, only the church that was recently restored.

Near the village Sarakina, south of Kalambaka, on Penaeus River in the early 16th century the bishop of Larissa Bessarion II built a large arched stone bridge ...

Church of St. Nicholas Bantova.

In the 15th century., Was probably the church of St. Nicholas Bantova Kofinas, or carved into the rock cave in the ravine that separates Kastraki from Kalambaka. The church was accepted by many subsequent interventions was probably hermitage. In the same ravine at the Church of St.. Antoniou and J. M. St. Gregory.

Today it operates and belongs to the Holy Trinity Monastery Meteora

To find the church follow the following path:
At the entrance of Kalambaka Kastraki turn right following the road alongside the rocks of Meteora. 500 meters and then hold the rock, turn right. The dirt road leads to a plateau in front of the church of Panagia, the hermitage of St. Nicholas or Bantova Kofinas is carved into the cave of the rock.

Virgin Mary Church Kalambaka


The church of the Assumption is a three-aisle basilica ending in three apses eastward. The nave is elevated. The aisles are separated by alternating pillars and columns, while esonarthex communicates with the central aisle through trivilou opening. The exonarthex is later.

The initial phase of the existing building is dated back to the old late 11th or early 12th century, mainly based on the dating of the initial phase of the paintings. However, later studies tend to place the monument around 1000. Revealing parts of the mosaic floor beneath the floor of the modern church and the architectural elements of the monument, that its architectural form, the existence trivilou, synthronon and reconstructed by a cop marble pulpit with two staircases led to the hypothesis that the Byzantine church was erected the foundations of an early Christian basilica, which retained the outline.

Inside the temple is richly decorated with frescoes, which belong to two different phases. The oldest painting layer, dating to the late 11th - early 12th century., Retained fragments on the eastern edge of the south aisle. The bulk of the surviving painted decoration, which was performed by the priest Kyriazis and the Cretan monk Neophytos, son of the painter Theophanes dated in 1573. At the same time the church suffered extensive repairs. The frescoes decorating the walls of the narthex dates from the 18th century.

address

Karditsis 56
42100 Trikala (Trikala)

Phones

24310 45100

Email

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address

National Road Ioannina - Trikala
42200 Kalambaka (Trikala)

Phones

24320 22222
24320 24044
24320 24111

Fax

24320 37392
24320 24222

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