In that journey to Parnassus  we drove all day in the snow . It was March and the weather was  fierce … We crossed through cool trails and fantastic landscapes with the jeep radiator lit in the upper scale…. When we arrived at the Dadiou monastery, located over Amfiklia town , a very promising  sun came out… Well, we went to see the monastery and stretch our feet a bit…

 

 

 

The monastery is called Dadiou, a name coming from the nearest village; once called Dadi and  today  is the town called Amfiklia .

The monastery is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin, but locals call it also the Monastery of Gavriotissas, a name derived from the many hornbeams (Carpinus Betulus), the deep green trees that are spread around.

 

 

 

 I sat in the sun a little while Claire photographed and started reading  the booklet of the monastery . It was established in 1755 . The church is a basilica with an octagonal dome (which was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1842 ).

In the revolution of 1821 Christians from Dadi found refuge at the monastery took and the famous warrior Odysseas Androutsos come here often with his men . But the Turks learned about his visits to the monastery and quite a few Turks came  here led by Mehmet Aga in November 1822 . They did not come to worship of course . Androutsos was blockaded in the monastery where a hard fight took place, but the Greek chieftain escaped.

The Turks, not to leave empty handed, massacred  all the people  found  in the monastery, captured the women and plundered the place. That’s why many of the old relics were lost forever …
However the frescoes dating from  1756, in the church, are fairly well preserved . We saw them . But we stood much in front of those frescoes, designed on the outside wall of the narthex . On those drawings  scenes from the Second Coming  are presented with great eloquence.

Observe carefully the sinful couple who do not go to the  Sunday Church (and prefer sinning in bed instead! ). See the picture . Satan has ridden them (outside the blanket … ) , the lovers are hugging and kissing, while under the bed another demon is preparing to put them on fire.

 

 

 

 

 It seems that we stood a while in front of that strange cluster smiling .

A nun saw us and asked:

– They are sinners … you see … Are you married at least ; asked with a slightly sullen face .

No, we were not. Neither I nor Claire. We told her so .

She left shaking her black-clad in robes head, meaningfully…

I thought we made the holy woman upset…

 

 

 

 

Where am I ?

The Dadiou monastery is located a few kilometers north of Amfiklia town. The best and quickest way to get here is to come to Amfiklia driving through the eastern slopes of Parnassus mountain (via Tithorea village) . The Dadiou monastery is a nunnery (tel. 22340 22203 ) .