Panayia Vlaherna in Killini

The women’s historic Byzantine monastery of Panagia Vlacherna is located in the village of Kato Panagia in the province of Ilia, 2.5 km from Killini. The Monastery of Panagia Vlachernitissa in Ilia, named after the famous Virgin Mary of the Blacherns in Constantinople, lies at an altitude of just 80 meters in an olive-tree valley. It is an old-fashioned monastery with a great historical tradition that last operated as a women’s monastery. Since 1978, following the decision of Metropolitan Ilias Athanasiou, in the area of the Monastery, a nursing home and a retirement home were established for the poor, elderly and unprotected women in the area.

Unfortunately it is not known when the Monastery was founded. However, the Katholikon has materials coming from another early Christian art temple that flourished between the ages of 330-630 AD. It is speculated that the Monastery itself was probably founded before the 9th century. Its remarkable Catholic is dedicated to the Genesis of the Most Holy Theotokos and celebrates each year on September 8th. The sculpted marbles that are incorporated in the Katholikon and exist in the Monastery come from the original Early Christian temple, which probably fell from a strong earthquake, since many times the Monastery and Ilia in general have been affected by strong earthquakes.