Charlie

Charlie club

Posted: 04 Jan 2024


Taken: 22 Sep 2019

10 favorites     8 comments    186 visits

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Keywords

église
Arcadia
Agia Theodora
West Greece
Arkadien
Westgriechenland
Church of Agia Theodora
Grèce occidentale
Vasta
Halbinsel
Péloponnèse
Peloponnese
péninsule
Grèce
Griechenland
Church
Greece
Kirche
Peninsula
Peloponnes
église d'Agia Theodora


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Agia Theodora - 11 - Back View

Agia Theodora - 11 - Back View
Holy Virgin Martyr Theodora

Agia Theodora Vasta is a small Byzantine church with 17 trees growing on its roof. Only a single thick root can be seen above the entrance. No roots can be seen anywhere else, not even inside the church. Underneath the church is the source of a river whose water is said to be drinkable - but I didn't taste it.

The church is now a popular place of pilgrimage (commemoration day is September 11th); Believers are said to have received numerous miracles.

There are several legends about the creation of this unusual church. The first - and for me the most touching - legend I read about goes like this:
In the 10th century, a family with three daughters lived in the Peloponnese. At this time of the Byzantine Empire, every family was obliged to send a male descendant to military service. If that wasn't possible, the family was able to buy their way out of it with a large amount of money.

Since there was no son in the family and the family did not have the necessary money, the daughter Theodora decided to join the army disguised as a man. There, the soldier Theodoris, who showed himself to be brave and combative, was soon very popular with everyone. A young laundress, who was also happy to serve the soldiers in other ways, fell in love with Theodoris. But Theodoris - inevitably - rejected the advances.

When the laundress became pregnant, when asked by the commander, she said Theodoris was the child's father. The commander asked Theodoris to marry the laundress, which Theodoris of course had to refuse. Theodoris persisted in his refusal, even when the otherwise threatened death penalty was imposed.

On the day of the execution, Theodoris prayed to God that his body would become a church, his blood a spring, and his hair trees. And on the spot where the execution took place is now the Church of Saint Theodora, with the 17 trees symbolizing Theodora's age at the time of death.

Günter Diel, Malik Raoulda, Mikus, Makrofan and 6 other people have particularly liked this photo


Comments
 Jaap van 't Veen
Jaap van 't Veen club
Another fine picture of such a remarkable chapel.
Well captured.
9 months ago.
 Annemarie
Annemarie club
most beautiful this
9 months ago.
 William Sutherland
William Sutherland club
Awesome shot! HFF!

Admired in: www.ipernity.com/group/tolerance
9 months ago.
 Charlie
Charlie club
@Jaap, @Annemarie, @William: Thank you for your visits, comments (=motivation to show more of my photos) and the asterisks.
9 months ago.
 Peter Castell
Peter Castell club has replied
One group that is very popular is HFF Happy Fence Friday the idea being you add a photo on a Friday that includes a fence I belong to it but haven't posted anything there recently because I found it was getting to much if 20 people wish you a nice weekend you fell obliged to reply. You say that you are learning photography as you go along I'm not a photographer just an old bloke who likes playing with a camera but I don't mind trying to answer a question
9 months ago.

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