Next to the ancient Greek theater of Mantineia is located Saint Fotini, built by the Arcadian architect Costas Papatheodorou. It is a building that combines ancient Greek and Christian influences, which built stone-by-stone, painted and decorated on its own from 1970-75, with the help of a few unskilled workers. The stones and marbles were collected from the demolished buildings, barrows and sheets of the Arcadian plateau and were processed one by one with almost primitive tools. He then built an ancient Heron outside the temple, in honor of the Arcadians who fought for their homeland and a Jacobite Freer, symbolizing Jesus' meeting with Samaritan. He painted the interior of the church giving the saints modern human figures and made mosaics on the floors with representations of ancient Greek mythology that are adorned with Christian doctrines. Many great names in art were flattered about his work, but many also strongly disputed it. The official Orthodox Church accepted it, but without objection. The architect as a true faithful Christian has so far defended his work modestly. Although he studied at major universities in Vienna and Berlin next to world-class teachers, he remains a very gentle and modest personality. Saint Fotini owes its existence not only to him, but also to the enlightened minds of the Mantinian League, who commissioned it to build and support to the end his revolutionary architectural innovations. TEXT-PHOTOS: GEORGE ZAFEIROPOULOS, SOURCE: www.greecewithin.com

In the Church of the Nativity, thousands of touched pilgrims are vibrated by the aura in the atmosphere that inevitably captivates everyone, even the non religious.

The historical Church with the legendary mosaics is about to follow the fate of Hagia Sofia and fall a victim of the revengeful obscurantism. Soon, black curtains will deprive humanity of a high art. The symbolisms of this choice are many and on various levels. The supremacy of Islam, the right of conquence, the disobedience to the West; yet, what seems to be prevailing is the hate of the predecessor, as well as an anger that neither time nor the magic of art are capable of healing. TEXT-PHOTOS: George Zafeiropoulos, SOURCE: www.greecewithin.com

After each big wave the passengers on the boat were shouting: "Well done captain, may the Seven Children bless you". The captain was a young man, smiling awkwardly, holding strongly the boat's wheel. This strong shake didn't last more than ten minutes, the calmness returned while the boat got into the arc of the volcano’s caldera.