“The purpose of hagiography is the reduction, from the perceivable to the imaginable, from the material to the spiritual and from the ephemeral to the eternal. Through hagiography all is depicted not as a sight but as a mystery.”
said the famous Greek writer and painter “Fotis Kontoglou”

Iconography is a teaching of a specific expression (“language”) that is the “language” of the Holy Bible. Thus the icon painter must know the hermeneutics of the Church in all the events in order from him to reflect in the painting the theology that is reflected in the “Bible and the Church Fathers”. Hence no one can take and describe the events with his own imagination. You will notice this in the course of our lessons that each line, each expression – many elements are indeed dogmatic – are unchangeable.

In the beginning of hagiography lessons you will visit 2 small byzantine churches. First the cathedral of Kalamata and then the St.Apostles church. “Ipapanti tou Sotiros” is one of the largest cathedrals in Messinia and celebrates its Feast Day on February the 2nd. Built in 1839 and consecrated in 1873, the layout is traditional Byzantine style and inside the church resides the ancient and miraculous icon of Panagia Ipapanti, Protectress of the city of Kalamata.In the centre of the Messenian capital, at 23rd of March Square, the Temple of Saint Apostles is of great historical importance. Built during the Byzantine period, the temple has found a place in history, since it was there on the 23rd of March 1821 where the doxology for the liberation of Kalamata took place. At this first doxology, in a free territory, Th. Kolokotronis, P. Mavromichalis, Papaflessas, Nikitaras and other warriors of the Greek Revolution were present.The church was built in the beginning of the 14th century by Emperor Andronikos. Two very important churches for the town of Kalamata and for Greece.After our first meeting with the Greek Orthodox Byzantine churches then you will start with a thirty minute session that our hagographer expert  will specify as Theology of Icons because Icon Theology is very essential in order to know how to create the holy images. Our hagiographer expert do not simply describe the events and impress them in a subjective manner from his own intellectual and artistic ability and experience.

In this 3-4 hours tour and Hagiography lessons our hagiographer expert will show you the steps and the very basic principles of the icons, to simply remember them, in order to have them in your mind as a general structural element, and on these general principles we will build the further foundations for what is called theology of the icon.

Join us to discover the mystical world of hagiography and explore its steps with guidelines of our expert hagiographer by painting your own icon at the end..

Prices / 2 up to 4 persons

• 75€/person for minimum 2 participants.
• 55€/Kid age 8+ for 2 participants.

Prices / 5 up to 8 persons

• 70€/person for minimum 5 participants.
• 50€/Kid age 8+ for 5 participants.

For less or more participants please contact us in order to offer you flexible rates.