Location information

Monastery of the Virgin at Voulkano

MONI VOULKANOU (Monastery) ITHOMI
Tel: +30 27240 51258
The new Holy Monastery of Voulkano was founded in 1625 in the east part of Ithomi and was restored in 1967 by the Metropolitan Chrysostomos Themelis. In the centre of the yard there is the church in the shape of a domed cross dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary the Voulkaniotissa whose name came from the miracle icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary which according to tradition is dating back to the 14th century and is the work of the Evangelist Loukas. The Holy Monastery is for men only and is celebrated on the 15th August. On the day before the celebration there is vespers and a vigil. On the 20th September the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary is carried in a religious procession of 20 km, from the church of the Monastery of Voulcano to the church of the Source of Life in Messini in the area of Panigyristra where it is displayed for 9 days for people to pay their respects.

On the top of the holy mountain of Ithomi there is the Holy Altar of the old monastery of Voulkano, which was founded during the Midbyzantine Era (843-1204), according to tradition by the emperor Leonida the 3rd Isavrou in 725 A.D. In 1625, the monks of the monastery, which is also called «of the peak», built the new monastery in the area «Under the Mother of water» on the eastern slopes of Ithomi. The monastery was restored in 1967 by the Metropolitan of Messinia Chrysostomos Themelis. The Holy Altar of the old monastery «of the peak» has been recounted in 1638 by the painters of holy icons and brothers Moschi while the Holy Altar of the church is placed on the pedestal of an ancient statue. Three of its sides bear inscriptions which are ancient and illegible. During the domination by the Turks it became a shelter for guerrilla fighters while it also contributed considerable sums of money for the Cause during the Greek Revolution.

This text is cited March 2003 from the Messenia Prefecture Tourism Promotion Commission URL below, which contains image.

• http://www.na-messinia.gr/docs-en/m-voulkanou.htm (1 img.)