Justinian Site

THE OLD AND THE NEW MONASTERY OF TALANTI
Item ID : 357
Collection Name : Holy Metropolis of Argolida
Type : Monastery
Year : c. 15th AD
Current Place : Arachnaio
Description : In isolated mountains we can find Arachniao. Which has managed to survived through the centuries.
Deteriorated, the little church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary, stands deserted to the East of the village, with a small naive attached to it dedicated to Agiannis Pilaros. This twin church was the first catholicon (main naive), of the Talanti monastery.
The church of the Virgin has ceramic decoration and ta dentil frieze surrounding the arc of the unique port ( to the west ) and at the facade .
The interior walls well preserved frescoes that still exists. The small cross-shaped church that is attached to the south side its also decorated . The survived mural inscription: “AK” , probably after the name of Agia Kyriaki (Saint Kyriaki). In memory of the elders but the church has remained as Agia Marina.
The year 1761 , the Aga region Kucuk Mehmet gave to the abbot of the monastery Daniel, an uncultivated area , west of the village to so as to be cultivate by the monks and pay an annual tax , the tithe .
Seeking the monks a place away from the village Heli , what was then the village , build those years the new monastery at the beginning of the stream Chouni and dedicate it to the Virgin Mary . In 1782 he came here as a novice monk, the twelve year sold Cheliotis Koukiniotis Gregory , who originally by Daniel and on the long abbot ( 1798-1852 ) help for the monastery development.
In the next fifty years will the Abbots Ananias Vouchionis , Chrisanthos Karavasilopoulos , Constantine Jamilias , Daniel Christou up to 1899 run the monastery.
In 1892 the monastery was merged for about ten years with the monasteries of Archangels and Agnountos in Epidaurus , and reopened in1933 when it joined the monastery Karakalas .
However, the locals remember one of the last monk the monastery as the years of occupation . They say he was blind , he was sitting on the balcony of the monastery alone.
In those years he lived in a monastery the archimandrite , Papanikolas. professor of the Theology School in Izmir , but the torture he passed into the hands of the Turks after the Asia Minor disaster " had blurred his mind ." He kindling for the fire the books of the monastery and single sheets of paper for cigarette paper ."
In documents of the years 1838 and 1839 it appears that the monastery looked after blind people , because in a letter found addressed to the mayor of Arachnaio informs that "we received a financial document for three blind people."
The two buildings of the old monastery Talantio , which seem to have Byzantine origins , is the only remaining of the monastic complex . In the mid- 18th century a new monastery was constructed and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary .
Initially the monastery was in the form parallelogram, Today the west side has been demolished and only a stone pillar , which supported the external loggia left .
The small, whitewashed church in the centre of the yard area is cross-shaped building with a semicircular apse in the sanctuary . On the western side rises a bi-lobed bell , bows which are based on the medium with pillars crowned with capitals . Inside has been decorated with frescoes , but without extant inscription that would reveal the name of the painter who worked here .