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Pantanassa Church

COUNTY: Achaea MUNICIPALITY: Patras

Clear
21.42ºC

Category

Basilica

Century

19

TL;DR

The imposing Pantanassa church is a must-see in Patras due to its architectural style coupled with an elaborate interior decoration.

Pantanassa church is at the historical center of Patras, close to Psila Alonia (upper town) where once there was a byzantine cemetery, according to tradition. It is dedicated to Panagia Pantanassa (All Holy Queen of Heaven). On 8th September, the feast day of the Nativity of Theotokos (Birth of the Virgin Mary) the miraculous icon of Panagia Pantanassa is displayed for the believers to worship.This icon, coated with silver and gold and decorated with diamonds and other valuable stones, was a donation from the soldiers and officers of the 12th Infantry Regiment in 1913.

The building, a three-aisled basilica with obvious neoclassical influences, is of great architectural significance thus, a listed monument since 1996. It is thought to have been built in 1847, only to be inaugurated in 1859. The two imposing campaniles were built the period 1884-1891 and the church was completely finished when its yard was paved with flagstones.

It has an elaborate interior decoration, but what really stand out are the four wood-carved icon-stands, the marble icon-stand of Virgin Mary and the sumptuous decorated marble iconostasis with the elaborate wood-carved Beautiful Gate (Holy Doors).

In 2008 the church was severely damaged by an earthquake. The restoration works began in 2012 and is expected to finish soon. For the time being there is a small prefabricated church next to it.Since 2015 the church owns a religious center accommodated in a traditional building that was donated to the parish by the believers.