14 September 2025 – Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross – Holy Monastery Kaltzia

We leave at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday 14/09/2025 from Colocotron Square in Tripoli The Historic and Imperial Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas CaltezionIn order to participate in Celebration of the Elevation of the Honourable Cross.

We will attend the solemn Mass, worship the Holy Cross and enjoy the delightful atmosphere of the day. After the celebration, there will be time for rest and a walk in the beautiful environment of the monastery.

Our return to Tripoli will be at noon with the best impressions and full of blessing from this great day of Orthodoxy.

The monastery, built on the green slopes of Manila, was founded in the 8th century and was for centuries an important monastic and spiritual center of Arkadia. During the Turkish era it served as a shelter for the Greeks and a famous school of literature, while during the Revolution of 1821 it was closely linked to the struggle. The First Peloponnesian Senate, the first organized political body of the Struggle, under the presidency of the Metropolitan of Old German Fathers, which makes the Monastery a beacon of Freedom and Faith.

According to the local tradition, when a Turkish gaze robbed the monastery, St. Nicholas “destroyed” him on the spot (i.e. miraculously immobilized him), resulting in him compensating the monastery with gifts and oil for the candle of the Saint; since then, the Turks have avoided approaching the monastery.

In 1825, the monastery was burned by the forces of Abraham Pasha — cells, documents and relics were destroyed, while the Gospel of the Senate was saved.

In 1838 a royal decree was issued. “Historical Monument”Later, in 1846, because there were not enough monks, it was merged as an associate with the Monastery of Gorgoepikoou (Tsipianos)

Reorganization – reorganization of selfIn 1921, the monastery regained its autonomous status. The female communityIt begins a period of reconstruction and reconstruction that led to its significant upgrade.

The School and Institutional Support Between 1925 and 1932, the Monastery housed a Vocational School for Girls for orphaned girls, focusing on weaving and home economics lessons.

Expansion with New Additions In 1965, the chapel of Saint Nektarios was built outside the main area of the Monastery, near the cemetery of the brotherhood.

Monastic Decline and Temporary Closure In 2020, the Monastery closed temporarily after the death of the abbess and the departure of the last nun. The same year (2021), a part of the monastic complex, known as "the first Greek parliament", collapsed, along with the cell of the founder Elias Lyronis.

Rebirth of the Monastery with a New Brotherhood In 2022, a new male brotherhood was established, under the leadership of Archimandrite Germanos Michos. The Monastery reopened for the faithful, operates normally, and restoration work is underway.

Commemorative Events in Memory of 1821 In 2025, on the occasion of the completion of:

• 204 years since the Convocation of the First Peloponnesian Senate (1821)
• 200 years since the burning by Ibrahim (1825)

grand events took place at the Monastery: a torch relay, speeches, dance groups, scouting activities, with the presence of local officials and a multitude of faithful.