Something unique is happening in Arnaia and is related to the Holy Metropolitan Church of Saint Stephen. It is currently the only church in Greece that, while operating normally to serve the needs of the faithful, is also built atop significant antiquities of priceless historical value, most of which are visible. Thus, in addition to being a place of religious worship, it also serves as a visitable site of historical and archaeological interest.
Let’s start from the beginning. The Metropolitan Church of Arnaia, as evidenced by a marble inscribed plaque embedded in its facade, was built in 1812 and is dedicated to the memory of Saint Stephen, as there was a dependency of the Monastery of Konstamonitou from Mount Athos in the area, whose Katholikon is also dedicated to Saint Stephen. The church belongs to the architectural type of a three-aisled basilica, with dimensions of 41×19.5 meters. During the revolution of 1821, it was burned to the ground, as was the entire village, whose inhabitants abandoned it and scattered in the surrounding area. Later, they returned, rebuilt the village and the church, in which they placed a wooden iconostasis and a finely carved bishop’s throne, one of the few wooden-carved in the region. The unique technique of the iconostasis was a donation from the Monastery of Konstamonitou and included 70 smaller wooden icons and 14 large ones adorned with silver.
THE GREAT FIRE
On the night of September 5, 2005, a massive fire broke out inside the church, almost completely destroying it. The cause remains unknown to this day, leaving only the stone-built walls intact. The roof collapsed. Everything inside the church – the icons, books, relics, and items of inestimable historical and artistic value, the uniquely crafted silver-plated and gilded wooden iconostasis, and the intricately carved bishop’s throne – turned to ashes.
Immediately, the Ministry of Culture, through the 10th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, under whose jurisdiction the church falls, in collaboration with ecclesiastical authorities and local agencies, as well as with the full support of the citizens of Arnaia and the wider area, began the Herculean task of restoration.
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS
During the reconstruction and renovation work, three older buildings were discovered inside the church: a large three-aisled early Christian basilica dating back to around 400, a small single-room Byzantine church from the 10th-11th century, and a large rectangular post-Byzantine building without an apse from the 16th-17th century. Simultaneously, numerous findings came to light from the early Christian era to the Ottoman period: clay, marble, glass, and metal objects, mortars, and wall paintings.
Additionally, fifteen burials were uncovered, some of which date back to the early Christian period and others to the 16th century AD. Thus, due to the reconstruction work on the burnt building and thanks to the systematic excavations of the 10th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities, a significant aspect of the region’s history was revealed: the uninterrupted human presence and activity in Arnaia, specifically in the location where the church of Saint Stephen stands today.
After the completion of the restoration work and the archaeological research, the protection and preservation of the findings followed. At the same time, the archaeological site was designed to highlight the buried history of the place. In the renovated floor of the church, special transparent “panels” were installed, on which visitors can stand, walk, or worship while simultaneously observing the illuminated and specially designed archaeological site and the findings discovered beneath the church.
Info
-The uniqueness of the monument and the highlighting of the findings resulted in the influx of visitors of all ages and nationalities to the church daily since the beginning of 2009 when the project of the 10th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities was completed. Visitors come individually or in organized groups, contributing to the tourist development of Arnaia and the surrounding area.
-The Church of Saint Stephen in Arnaia is open to the public every day, from morning to afternoon.
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