At the territory near the village of Ano Kotsanopoulo, filled with olive and platanus trees, next to a small tributary of river Louros, is the Monastery of Avassos, dedicated to the Dormition of Virgin Mary. Its name comes from the family of Avassiotis, merchants that were active in Odessa, Russia, which must had the ownership of this territory.
It was founded in the middle of the 18th century but it seems that it existed already from the Byzantine period, as demonstrated by the marble architectural members and parts of a screen that have been walled-in at its catholicon. He obtained a rather large property and maintained schools in the nearby villages. It was destroyed by the Albanians and was ruined and then it was reconstructed in 1853 by the abbot priest-monk Kyprianos from Thesprotiko, with the assistance of the Metropolitan of Arta, Sophronios. In 1916 it became the metochi of the monastery of Zalogo and all its property passed into it, while in the following decades it was gradually abandoned and collapsed.
Today from the complex survives only the catholicon, with limewashed walls and a roof covered with slates. It was constructed in 1853, with the renovation of the monastery, over the older church that was built in 1746, as we are informed by the inscription over its southern entrance. It is a three-aisled basilica, whose central aisle is divided with two columns in every side and is covered with three domes, while the side aisles are covered with three arches each. The whole church is richly decorated with icons of 1853. Particular interest has the wooden carved screen with the relief representations from the Bible and the despotic images of 1891, works by the painter Karatzoulas from Preveza. From the rest of the buildings of the monastery survive in ruins the building of the cells, the inn and the watermill with the machine for processing the woolen textiles, while the stone wall that protected it has been restored.
The monastery is in ruins today and celebrates on the 15th of August.
Informations
Additional
Date:
middle of 18th century
Season:
Post-Byzantine
Celebrates:
15 August
Holy Metropolis:
Nikopolis and Preveza
Under the Supervision of:
Ephorate of Antiquities of Preveza
Address:
Ano Kotsanopoulo 48061
Access:
By car
Parking:
Free
