Monastery of Zourtsa (Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary)

Approximately on kilometer east of New Figaleia or Zourtsa, at the area of the cemetery of the settlement, is the church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, also known as the “Monastery”.

It dates from the last quarter of the 10th century and is probably the catholicon of a monastery. Indeed, a chrysobull by Andronikos II Palaiologos, in 1323, according to which the area of Zourtsas was granted to the Monastery of Vrontochios of Mystras, refers the metochi of the Monastery of Panagia Vogali, while in the Venetian record of 1700 there is mention of the monastery of Panagia Ligovais. The monastery was closely related to the history of Zourtsa and according to tradition during the period of the Turkish Occupation it housed an underground school, while in September 1825 it was set on fire by the army of Ibrahim. It operated as a men’s monastery until 1834, when it was abolished after an edict by Otto. Approximately a century later, the cells of the monks and its other areas were demolished and only the church remained, which also undertook several modifications and alterations.

In its initial form it was a wooden-roofed three-aisled basilica. Later, the church was limited to two aisles and on the western side a narthex was added. On the western, more recent, part of masonry older, architectural members have been walled-in, which date from the Late Byzantine Period. Of particular interest is the ceramic decoration at the largest arch of the altar area, where a large window dominates. In its interior the church does not have icons and the altar area is defined by its small elevation and the wooden iconostasis.

The monastery used to have a lot of relics that today are kept the Folklore Museum of Zourtsa. The church celebrated in the 15th of August.