Kerpini, Gortynia, Arcadia,Peloponnese
Hermitage of Agios Taxiarchis
| Location: |
| In a gorge between the villages of Kerpini and Kourouveli in Arcadia. |
| Region > Prefecture: |  |
| Peloponnese Arcadia | |
| Municipality > Town: | |
| City of Gortynia • Kerpini | |
| Altitude: | |
| Elevation ≈ 850 m |
| Time of Construction | Origin | |
| around 18th cent. | Post-BYZANTINE  |
|
| Castle Type | Condition | |
| Cave Fort |
Not Good
|
A hermitage with some fortification in a rock cave at Velika, in a gorge between the villages of Kerpini and Kourouveli in Gortynia, 1 kilometer southeast of Kerpini.
There is a road that reaches below the cave.
The hermitage is dedicated to the SaintsTaxiarches (archangels Michael and Gabriel) who are normally celebrated on November 8, but the locals have chosen to celebrate and to hold services in the chapel on the first Saturday after August 15.
History
The history of the hermitage is not known. There is no indication of the date of its construction.
Castle caves of this type usually belonged to monasteries or hermitages and were created during the Post-Byzantine period in many areas of Greece — mainly in the Peloponnese — in the 17th and 18th centuries. They served not only as places of worship and asceticism, but also as refuges for the local population. Many of them were at times dens of kleftes.
We do not know more about the hermitage of Agios Taxiarchis.
Sources
- Research and photos (August 2022) by Ioannis Farsarakis
- Info by Charalampos Papadopoulos
| Access |
|---|
| Entrance: |
| It is unclear whether access to the interior is possible. |
