Malevi Monastery

Malevi Monastery

Μονή Μαλεβής
Monastery information
Other names	Monastery Dormition of Theotokos Malevi
Established	8th century
Dedicated to	Dormition of Theotokos
Celebration date	August 23
Diocese	Metropolis of Mantineia and Kynouria
Site
Location	Arcadia
Country	Greece
Coordinates	37°19′42″N 22°34′56″E / 37.32833°N 22.58222°E / 37.32833; 22.58222

The Holy Monastery of Malevi (Greek: Ιερά Μονή Μαλεβής) is a historical monastery dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin and belongs to the Metropolis of Mantineia and Kynouria.^[1] It is located at a distance of 20 km from Astros and 5 km from the village of Agios Petros,^[2][3] on the slopes of Mount Parnonas at an altitude of 900 meters.

The name Malevi comes from the local name of the peak of Mount Parnon, Malevos. According to tradition, the first monastery was founded in the 8th century. (circa 717 AD) but in a different location than today and more specifically in a protected spot (to avoid the raids of criminals) in the "Canals" location.

As it is also legend, a heavy winter that once planted, became the reason for the monks to starve and eventually they all starved to death. In the 10th century, a shepherd, according to the legend, discovered the image of the Virgin in the bushes and thus the religious community's interest in the Monastery was rekindled.

The first movement took place in 1320, according to a golden decree of the emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos. A few years later, the miraculous, fragrant icon of the Virgin Mary, probably the work of Luke the Evangelist, was silvered. At the beginning of the 17th century the monastery was functioning, since in 1609 the Turkish authorities gave permission to rebuild a dilapidated church in Platanos.

The second movement of the monastery took place in 1616, according to the founding inscription, by Abbot Iosif Karatzas. In the following years, Agios Nilos the Myrovlitis (born Nikolaos Terzakis, †1651) was a monk at the monastery, who later became an ascetic on Mount Athos.

On May 8, 1786, the Turks, in order to take revenge for their defeat by the Zacharias thieves and the Agiopetrites thieves, with Thanasis Karamelas and Antonakis Alevizos being the most important, set fire to the monastery. During the years of the Revolution of 1821, the abbot of the monastery, Kallinikos Tsiamouris, became a member of the Filiki Eteria and helped many fighters as a doctor and Dimitrios Ypsilantis.

In 1826 Ibrahim Pasha destroyed the monastery. Years later, during the German occupation, the Germans bombed the monastery, because a hospital that helped the rebels of Parnon was housed there.

The catholicon of the monastery belongs to the inscribed cruciform type with a dome and interior; it is newly painted. In the upper part of the courtyard area, a Byzantine-style church dedicated to the Virgin Mary has recently been built.

Around the catholicon there are newly built and renovated cells and auxiliary spaces as well as the chapels of Agios Nilos, Agios Nektarios and Agios Georgios. The Malevi Monastery has a stake in Agios Charalambos in the village of Korakovouni. The monastery was converted into a nunnery in 1949 and currently has 14 nuns. Her Catholic Church celebrates the Presentation of the Virgin on August 23.

• Petros Sarantakis, Arcadia: Its monasteries and churches, a journey of 10 centuries, Oiatis Publications, Athens 2000. ISBN 960-91420-0-1.

• Municipality of North Kynouria - A video dedicated to the Monasteries of North Kynouria (YouTube)