HOLY MONASTERY OF SPILIA
© Copyright :
HOLY MONASTERY
OF SPILIA
HOLY MONASTERY
OF THE BIRTH OF VIRGIN MARY
OF PETRILO
his monastery is situated in the settlement of Kampouraika of the village Petrilo, at an altitude of 1400 meters. Unfortunately, no records have been found regarding its foundation. The today's catholic structure of the Monastery, a single-naved cross-shaped basilica of Athos type, is a building of 1850, while its religious paintings were made in 1851. However, the monastery pre-existed. There have been saved many letters of the Master of the Nation, the Priest-Monk Anastasios of Gordio, written "to the Monastery of Petrilo" dated in 1713, and there are also attestations saying that it has passed from the monastery the Saint Kosmas of Aetolia. From time to time the Monastery has also been the headquarters of the Mpoukouvalei, Karaiskakis and other war lords of Agrafa. During its heyday, the Monastery of Petrilo has presented an intense social activity, and the most characteristic example of this is the foundation and operation with its own expenses of a school of literature. After the Royal Decree of the 29.01.1907 (Greek Official Gazette 19), the Monastery became part of the Monastery of Spilia as a Monastery Dependency and it is known as Monastery of Saint Charalampos, because a part of the Holy Relics of the Saint is kept there.
It celebrates on 8th September.