NAFPLIO: The feast of the Panagia is honored in a special way in the area of Agia Triada (Vouzi) of the Municipality of Nafplio in Argolis, on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
On the eve of the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, following the conclusion of the Holy Paraklesis, the miraculous icon of the Panagia is transferred from the central temple of Agia Triada to the Byzantine Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, where hymns of praise to the Panagia are sung with great devotion. The vespers and the Paraklesis to the Panagia were celebrated by the priests Fr. Ioannis and Fr. Georgios Mitrosylis. The icon will remain in the Byzantine Church until the feast day, after which, following the Divine Liturgy, it returns once again to the village's new church. This church is one of the most remarkable Byzantine churches of the Komnenian period.
The Panagia of Vouzi
In the beautiful and historic village of Agia Triada (Mermbaka) stands a Byzantine church of exceptional architectural style and great historical value. It is the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, or simply the Panagia. This church is one of the most significant Byzantine churches of the Komnenian period, according to the researcher Diana Antonakato. Georgios Sotiriou, describing the church, says it is "...a complex tetraconch, with a prismatic dome, with a narthex and elegant facades in front of the western entrance and the side gates. The walls of the church are adorned with friezes of ceramic meanders."
The Church of the Panagia of Vouzi "is one of the best-known and most beautiful churches in Greece, of a cruciform type, with a dome that has been preserved in excellent condition." Interestingly, it finds Gothic influences in the architecture of the church and in the decorative elements of the exterior walls. A characteristic element of the church is the absence of white marble, as carved porolithos has been used for all the architectural sculptural elements. One of the great elements of the church is also its sundial. The founder of the Byzantine church, which served as the entire Byzantine monastery, was the founder of the Holy Monastery of Aria, near Nafplio, the Bishop of Argos and Nafplio, Leon (1143-1157). This new monastery remained in the memory of local ecclesiastical history under the name "Panagia of Vouzi."
The name "Vouzi" was clearly the specific toponym of the area, which was likely given to the place by the lord in whose possession the area belonged. In 1277, the Latin Bishop Wilhelm von Moerbeke arrived and established his seat at the monastery of Panagia of Vouzi. The duration of his stay in Mermbaka remains a mystery to this day. In later years, during the Second Venetian Period (1686-1715), perhaps in 1691, the monastery initially became a dependency of the nearby Holy Monastery of St. Theodoros, while still maintaining its own property. It was later granted by the Doge of Venice, Francesco Morosini, to the Bishop of Rethymno, Athanasios Hortatsis, who was living in the Peloponnese at that time.
From 1715 until 1770, the monastery of Panagia of Vouzi became the seat of the Metropolitan of Argos, who was forced to leave his natural seat due to pressure from the Turkish conquerors. The fact that this monastery in Vouzi became a seat of a Metropolis proves that it must have been in its great prime, especially regarding its architectural infrastructure and economic condition. From 1770 onwards, the sale of all its property began. Unverified information suggests that the monastery was burned by the Turks, perhaps in 1825, during the Greek War of Independence. In 1833, the monastery still existed, although it was considered a "ruined monastery," without cells or monks.
Slowly, the glory of the monastery fades; its property quietly passes into the hands of the residents of Mermbaka, and its various buildings fall into ruin, with no one caring for them anymore. Excavations carried out within the temple during the period 1989-1990 brought to light a crypt located beneath the Holy Altar, the support of the old iconostasis, as well as a tomb beneath the main nave and the narthex.