Monastery of Faneromeni Drialou

Near the small village of Fragoulia or Fragoulianika, on the street Areopolis-Gerolimenas, at a distance of approximately 6 km from the cave of Diros, is the monastery of Faneromeni, dedicated to Virgin Mary.

It was founded in the end of the 11th century, as we are informed by the founding inscription, carved on the initial marble screen of the catholicon, parts of which survive at the yard of the monastery.

The inscription bears the date 1079 and the name Georgios, the artist of the sculpture. In addition, it also informs us that the church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and that its founders were the monk Nikonas and Thalousis Kouskounaris, from the village Kouskouni.

The church was reconstructed and decorated in the 14th century, as it is obvious in the second, written inscription, which survives in the arch of the altar area.

The works were carried out with the help of clergymen, when head of the church was “Mr Nikolaos”, in the period 1322-1323, during the joint reign of emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos and his wife Irene. Then the church was dedicated to Panagia Faneromeni, a dedication related to the miraculous icon of Panagia Cyzicus (Artaki), whose cult was very popular during the Palaeologan era.

It is an aisleless, of basilican plan and barrel-vaulted church. In the beginning of the 12th century on its western side they added a rectangular, barrel-vaulted porch, an architectural characteristic of several monuments in Mani.

After the renovation of 1322-1323, during the Post Byzantine period and modern times, several additions and interventions were made that created the present day form of the monument.

At its interior there are wall paintings of three different periods: the end of the 11th century, of 1322-1323 and of the first half of the 17th century. Nowadays it is women’s monastery and it celebrates on the 15th of August.