The Holy Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Vrachos Nemea, is located almost in the middle of a steep and rocky mountain, named Polyfeggo. Within the cave there is a small temple and the katholikon (major temple of the monastery) and today it is a holy pilgrimage of pan-Hellenic glow and respect.
It was founded in the 17th century (1631) but it had certainly begun being built several years earlier, at the beginning of the 16th century, and in 1631 it was officially declared a Monastery with the permission of the High Gate. The Virgin Mary of Vrachos had a great contribution to the struggle of liberation of the genus.
In those times, the sacred iconostasis of the Monastery was gold-plated, a sign of wealth that people's respect and faith accumulated there. Inside the cave there is still preserved until today a source of holy water, which in the years of the Ottoman domination supplied and refreshed the fathers and fighters who were finding shelter in raiding periods.
The Holy Icon is preserved today in St Athanasios Metohi (glebe land) for greater protection. It is characterized as Virgin Mary of the Passion. Right and left of her figure and on the upper part there are painted two angels, kneeling and being bearers of symbols of the Passion.
It is inscribed as the “Pure Virgin” and under the right Angel and on the left of Christ’s head (Vrefokratousa) is written: “O tó chaíre prín tí Panágno minýsas sýmvola toú Páthous prodeiknýei Christós dé thnitín sárka endedyménos pótmon dedoikós deiliá tafta vlépon
Her miracles are countless and there are many testimonies of miraculous interventions. Besides, there is a great history about it. During the occupation thieves invaded the monastery and plundered it. Just before leaving the monastery, one of them shot the miraculous icon in the hand. Immediately the icon started bleeding and tearing. So even today there is a big hole in the hand.
Moreover, when the monastery was being built, the builders were not hold fast to the rocks and were actually walking on the rocks. However, one day two of them fell. The first one screamed “MOM ” while falling and unfortunately died. On the contrary, the second one screamed “MADONNA” and was saved miraculously.
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