Panagia ton Vrachon (Our Lady of the Rocks)

This church truly is a hidden treasure and it is quite literally hidden in a deep crevasse at the bottom of a 40 – 50-meter-high cliff face.

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This church truly is a hidden treasure and it is quite literally hidden in a deep crevasse at the bottom of a 40 – 50-meter-high cliff face.  

Once you get there, head up the steps to the entrance. Look out for the icon of the Virgin Mary on the north side of the propylon (entrance gate), in a slot carved into the body of the rock. At the top of the steps, the view over the Olvio valley and across to Mount Ziria is breath-taking, so take a moment to look round and appreciate it before you go into the church itself. Your introduction to the church is two small vaulted rooms where you will see all kinds of objects - clothes, votive offerings, etc – hung on ropes which are strung across the walls, showing faith in the miraculous power of the Virgin Mary.

You then go on into the chapel itself with its chandelier, icons and a few wooden seats. As you walk through you can hear the sound of running water coming from a crack in the church, making this amazing place even more atmospheric. There is also an impressive iconostasis with folk art icons of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the Dormition which date from the early 19th century and are the work of the iconographer Asimakis Skaltsa from Kalavryta.

As far as the history of the church goes, it is thought to date back to the post-Byzantine period and was declared an archaeological site in 1962 as it is connected to the medieval city of Tarsos. In the 17th century, monks settled in this hidden crevasse in the rock and it became a church dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. It was also known as Faneromeni  (meaning Manifested) either because a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary was found here or, according to another tradition, because a mother and child were miraculously transported to the cave and saved from the Ottoman massacre in Tarsos.

During the second half of the 19th century the site was abandoned, However, it was then rescued by the nuns from nearby Agia Triada, who looked after it until the nunnery was dissolved in 1993.
 

Byzantine Tarsos
When you are visiting Panagia tou Vrachos and drinking in the peace and tranquility of the surroundings it’s difficult to imagine that there was once a bustling medieval city with its walled castle perched on the plateau at the top of the cliffs.
This was the city of Tarsos, which was founded in the 8th century and which enjoyed its heyday in the 15th century when it was part of the Despotate of Morea. However the city was completely destroyed in 1458 when Mohammed II the Conqueror invaded the Peloponnese as the Despots Demetrios and Thomas Palaiologos had not been paying the required tributes to the Ottoman Empire. Tarsos  was besieged by the Ottomans and although the local population fought bravely the city fell and many inhabitants were sent as slaves to Constantinople. At that point the city was abandoned and the few inhabitants who survived built the first houses in Ano and Kato Tarsos and in the village we now call Goura. 
The castle has a strange nickname, Tokmak Hisar  in Turkish, or Kastro ton Sfyron in Greek, meaning Castle of the Hammers. This name has been passed down through the centuries and comes directly from the punishment the Ottomans meted out to their prisoners after they took the castle,  crushing their hands and feet with wooden hammers. 

Did you know that

The impressive vertical rocks which shelter Panagia ton Vrachon continue for about 800 m on the slopes of Mount Tourla, between Mount Helmos and Mount Ziria. Not surprisingly, they are known as the “Corinthian Meteora.”

In 2000, renovation and restoration works were carried out on the exterior of the Panagia ton Vrachon.

The church is always open and can be visited any time. If you are in the area in August, it’s worth noting that the chapel celebrates its Saint’s Day on the 23rd of the month.

Location

Find the destination on the interactive map below.