Andromonastiro

Messinia, Greece

Andromonastiro is a monastic complex with fortifications and defensive towers. It was abandoned for more than a century but recently it has been effectively renovated.

It was built during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos (end of 12th-beginning of 13th century). Since then, the monastery went through six additional construction phases.

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Address

Messinia, Greece
See all sites in Messinia

Details

Founded: c. 1200
Category: Religious sites in Greece

More Information

www.kastra.eu

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Maureen Bourke (16 months ago)
Just visited this beautifully restored monastery. Was only going to spend a bit of time , but ended up falling in love with the place and stayed two hours exploring all the restoration work, and the beautiful grounds. Peaceful and quiet, it truly is a mystical place. John the caretaker takes such exquisite care of the buildings and grounds, and he knows every detail about the place. Don't miss this wonderful experience, bring a picnic to have by the river- you won't regret it! Winter hours - the monastery is only opened until 2PM, and closed Saturday and Sunday.
John S (17 months ago)
A monastery of unique beauty which has been renovated to emaculate conditions and it's completely open as a museum... It definitely worth a visit and huge respect to mr.Giannis who takes care of the maintenance and does a fantastic job of giving a tour!!!
Em G (20 months ago)
We visited the morning of Saturday March 11, 2023 but it was closed. We stayed walking around the area until lunchtime but no one ever came to open. There's no number to call and there wasn't any reason for it to be closed. Beautiful from the outside though, but it's a real shame when surely someone who's technically supposed to be at his job was elsewhere.
Dave Gittings (2 years ago)
An impressive large monastery dating from the 13th century that was, as the sugg ests for men. But no worries for women who want to visit, there are no monks in residence these days. In former years when we used to visit the site it was abandoned and more or less crumbling away but in some ways it was all the more atmospheric for that. Over recent years it's been renovated with EU money and is now tended by a caretaker. The river (Kakorema) has its source nearby and runs past the monastery in an idyllic setting. We sometimes visit just for a walk by the river as it's a nice spot for wildlife. Sadly some of the trees by the river have died off and not sure if this was due to pollutants at the time renovations were going on. A trip to the monastery (entry free) can easily be combined with a visit to nearby Ancient Messene and a meal at tavernas in Arsinoe, Mavomati, Zerbisia or Lampaina. Good as a day trip excursion from Kalamata. Opening and closing times vary with the seasons and Greek holidays. Photos from January visit when we only walked outside.
Edwin van Staden (3 years ago)
Near ancient Messini. Worth visiting. Interesting history with various explainatory signs. Very well restored and pittoresk. Very friendly guide.
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